Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0In Bird-in-Hand, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 22° on average. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in September and the lightest in February. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 64% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 19 to October 24.
A year in Bird-in-Hand at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bird-in-Hand’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bird-in-Hand’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Bird-in-Hand feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bird-in-Hand’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bird-in-Hand
83% of the work is heating. 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 Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.
Living with Bird-in-Hand’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bird-in-Hand from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bird-in-Hand and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bird-in-Hand in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bird-in-Hand’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird-in-Hand, PA | 22° | 86° | 46" | 21" |
| Delhi Hills, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Francisville, KY | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Clarksburg, WV | 23° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
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 Bird-in-Hand averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Bird-in-Hand compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bird-in-Hand’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Bird-in-Hand weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bird-in-Hand’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.2" | 6.1" | 10 | 7 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 2.6" | 7.4" | 9 | 9 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 3.9" | 3.4" | 11 | 3 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 34° | 3.2" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.7" | 3.4" | 11 | 2 | 27° – 46° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 45.9" | 21.4" | 124 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bird-in-Hand’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 Bird-in-Hand’s center.
- Snow: Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, 5 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 Bird-in-Hand’s climate
What is the weather like in Bird-in-Hand?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bird-in-Hand in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Bird-in-Hand get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bird-in-Hand?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Bird-in-Hand?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 186 frost-free days, at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.
What growing zone is Bird-in-Hand in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bird-in-Hand?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bird-in-Hand getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bird-in-Hand.
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.