Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives softly in Cook Township, cooler than in 76% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 20°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 63°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 76% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Cook Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cook Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cook Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Cook Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rector 3 Ssw, PA, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cook Township’s 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Derry 4 Sw, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cook Township
91% 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 Rector 3 Ssw, PA.
Living with Cook Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 45 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cook Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cook Township and its neighbors
Jefferson Township has the coldest January nights next door (16°, 4° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cook Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Township, PA | 20° | 83° | 48" | 48" |
| Cambridge, MA | 20° | 82° | 48" | 49" |
| Ridgefield, CT | 19° | 83° | 50" | 49" |
| Lincoln, RI | 20° | 83° | 50" | 48" |
| Lewisboro, NY | 20° | 84° | 49" | 49" |
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 Cook Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Cook Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cook Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Cook Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cook Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Derry 4 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 20° | 3.7" | 14.6" | 15 | 14 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 3.2" | 10.7" | 12 | 12 | 18° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 28° | 4.0" | 9.6" | 13 | 6 | 31° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.2" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 3.8" | 10.0" | 13 | 10 | 23° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 48.0" | 48.2" | 140 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cook Township’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 Cook Township’s center.
- Snow: Derry 4 Sw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rector 3 Ssw, PA, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 310 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 Cook Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Cook Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cook Township in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Cook Township get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Derry 4 Sw, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cook Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Rector 3 Ssw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Cook Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 152 frost-free days, at Rector 3 Ssw, PA.
What growing zone is Cook Township 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 Cook Township?
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 Cook Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cook Township.
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.