Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Big Bass Lake
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 15° on average. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 85% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 8.
A year in Big Bass Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bass Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bass Lake’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Big Bass Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bass Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 50 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Big Bass Lake
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport.
Living with Big Bass Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bass Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Bass Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Bass Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Big Bass Lake averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Big Bass Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bass Lake’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Big Bass Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bass Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.7" | 13° – 31° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 2.9" | 13° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 4.0" | 25° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 4.2" | 39° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 44° | 4.3" | 50° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 53° | 5.0" | 60° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 57° | 4.4" | 63° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 56° | 4.3" | 62° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 49° | 5.0" | 56° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 5.0" | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.6" | 32° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.9" | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 50.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Big Bass Lake’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Big Bass Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Big Bass Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bass Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bass Lake in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How hot does it get in Big Bass Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Big Bass Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport.
What growing zone is Big Bass Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Bass Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Bass Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Bass Lake.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.