Photo: Nyttend · Public domainAfternoon heat in Chest Springs trails that of 91% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 18°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 63°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Chest Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chest Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chest Springs’ place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Chest Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chest Springs’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 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 Chest Springs
93% 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 Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA.
Living with Chest Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 5.
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 Chest Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chest Springs and its neighbors
Clearfield Township the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° 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 Chest Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest Springs, PA | 18° | 80° | 44" | 50" |
| Hamilton, MA | 19° | 81° | 48" | 51" |
| Portsmouth, NH | 16° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
| Fenton, NY | 15° | 82° | 43" | 48" |
| Kittery, ME | 16° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
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 Chest Springs averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Chest Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chest Springs’ place among Pennsylvania’s.
Chest Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chest Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 18° | 3.2" | 15.4" | 16 | 19 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 2.8" | 14.6" | 13 | 17 | 16° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 3.6" | 7.6" | 12 | 9 | 29° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.8" | 1.6" | 14 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.2" | 1.8" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 3.4" | 8.5" | 14 | 10 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 44.2" | 49.9" | 156 | 57 |
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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Chest Springs’ 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 Chest Springs’ center.
- Snow: Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Chest Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Chest Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chest Springs in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Chest Springs get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chest Springs?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 58°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Chest Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 149 frost-free days, at Prince Gallitzin Sp, PA.
What growing zone is Chest Springs in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chest Springs?
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 Chest Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chest Springs.
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.