Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFor weather, Big Beaver is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 83°. Seasons differ by 63°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 69% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 64–83°.
A year in Big Beaver at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Beaver’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Beaver’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Big Beaver feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaver Falls 1 Ne, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Beaver’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New Castle 1 N, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Beaver
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Beaver Falls 1 Ne, PA.
Living with Big Beaver’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Beaver from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Beaver and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Beaver in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Beaver’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Beaver, PA | 20° | 83° | 42" | 28" |
| Bellefontaine, OH | 19° | 83° | 42" | 26" |
| Winchester, IN | 19° | 84° | 41" | 25" |
| Calumet City, IL | 18° | 84° | 39" | 28" |
| Kinderhook, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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 Beaver averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Beaver compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Beaver’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Big Beaver weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Beaver’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New Castle 1 N, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 3.0" | 10.1" | 16 | 16 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 39° | 22° | 2.5" | 7.7" | 12 | 12 | 16° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 3.3" | 3.7" | 12 | 5 | 31° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.8" | 13 | 2 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 40° | 26° | 3.1" | 4.9" | 14 | 7 | 23° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 41.7" | 27.5" | 156 | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Big Beaver’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 Beaver’s center.
- Snow: New Castle 1 N, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaver Falls 1 Ne, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower; 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 Beaver’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Beaver?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Beaver in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Big Beaver get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at New Castle 1 N, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Beaver?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Beaver Falls 1 Ne, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Big Beaver?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 178 frost-free days, at Beaver Falls 1 Ne, PA.
What growing zone is Big Beaver in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Beaver?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Beaver getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Beaver.
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.