Photo: Smallbones at en.wikipedia · Public domainA middle-of-the-road climate: Darby Township is close to most U.S. towns on every count
Midsummer highs settle at about 88°. Winter and summer sit 61° apart. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 68% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Darby Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Darby Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Darby Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Darby Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Philadelphia International Airport, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Darby Township’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Philadelphia International Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Darby Township
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Philadelphia International Airport.
Living with Darby Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Darby Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Darby Township and its neighbors
Philadelphia has the coldest January nights next door (25°, 1° 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 Darby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darby Township, PA | 26° | 88° | 47" | 23" |
| Cave Spring, VA | 27° | 87° | 45" | 18" |
| South Charleston, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 32" |
| Fort Thomas, KY | 24° | 87° | 45" | 23" |
| Forestville, OH | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 Darby Township averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Darby Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Darby Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Darby Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Darby Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Philadelphia International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 26° | 3.3" | 7.1" | 11 | 5 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 2.8" | 8.4" | 10 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 34° | 4.1" | 3.6" | 11 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 69° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 38° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 46° | 31° | 4.1" | 3.5" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 65° | 47° | 46.7" | 23.1" | 121 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Darby 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 Darby Township’s center.
- Snow: Philadelphia International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Philadelphia International Airport, 2.6 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 Darby Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Darby Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Darby Township in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Darby Township get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Philadelphia International Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Darby Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 69°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Philadelphia International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Darby Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 224 frost-free days, at Philadelphia International Airport.
What growing zone is Darby Township in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Darby Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Darby Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Darby 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.