Summers in Blue Ridge Summit are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 21°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 62°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 72% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to October, with highs of 63–83°.
A year in Blue Ridge Summit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Blue Ridge Summit’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Blue Ridge Summit’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Blue Ridge Summit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Blue Ridge Summit’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at S Mtn, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Blue Ridge Summit
85% 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 Catoctin Mtn Park, MD.
Living with Blue Ridge Summit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Blue Ridge Summit from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Blue Ridge Summit and its neighbors
Liberty Township the hottest July afternoons (87°, 4° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Blue Ridge Summit’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Summit, PA | 21° | 83° | 47" | 33" |
| Richmond, RI | 21° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
| North Branford, CT | 19° | 83° | 48" | 34" |
| North Westport, MA | 22° | 83° | 49" | 31" |
| Ridge, NY | 23° | 83° | 46" | 32" |
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 Blue Ridge Summit averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Blue Ridge Summit compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Blue Ridge Summit’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Blue Ridge Summit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Blue Ridge Summit’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from S Mtn, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 3.5" | 10.6" | 10 | 14 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 2.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 14 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 4.0" | 6.5" | 11 | 8 | 34° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.8" | 5.2" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 47.4" | 33.0" | 127 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Blue Ridge Summit’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 Blue Ridge Summit’s center.
- Snow: S Mtn, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Blue Ridge Summit’s climate
What is the weather like in Blue Ridge Summit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Blue Ridge Summit in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Blue Ridge Summit get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at S Mtn, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Blue Ridge Summit?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Catoctin Mtn Park, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Blue Ridge Summit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 197 frost-free days, at Catoctin Mtn Park, MD.
What growing zone is Blue Ridge Summit in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Blue Ridge Summit?
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 Blue Ridge Summit getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Blue Ridge Summit.
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.