Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Summers in Big Run are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 17°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 64°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 75% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Big Run at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Run’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Run’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Big Run feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grampian 1e, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Run’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Run
95% 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 Grampian 1e, PA.
Living with Big Run’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Run from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Run and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Run in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Run’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 Run, PA | 17° | 82° | 44" | 35" |
| Durham, NH | 15° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
| Mount Hope, NY | 17° | 82° | 47" | 43" |
| Hopkinton, RI | 20° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
| Peabody, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
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 Run averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Run compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Run’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Big Run weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Run’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 17° | 3.1" | 12.4" | 15 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 37° | 18° | 2.6" | 5.1" | 12 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 25° | 3.4" | 5.9" | 13 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 35° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 14 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 3.4" | 1.7" | 12 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 3.3" | 9.1" | 14 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 44.0" | 34.5" | 149 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Big Run’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 Run’s center.
- Snow: Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grampian 1e, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 Run’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Run?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Run in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Big Run get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Big Run?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Grampian 1e, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Big Run?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 160 frost-free days, at Grampian 1e, PA.
What growing zone is Big Run in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Run?
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 Run getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Run.
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.