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Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge Wide Side View 3008pxPhoto: Photo by and (c)2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Climate in East Cocalico Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

A middle-of-the-road climate: East Cocalico Township is close to most U.S. towns on every count

Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. Long walks are most pleasant from May to June and August to October, when afternoons reach 65–83°.

More snow than 58% of U.S. towns#544Snowiest  of 904 in PA
Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns#240Mildest winters  of 914 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in East Cocalico Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°22° 7" snow
Feb41°23° 10" snow
Mar50°30° 5" snow
Apr63°40° Last frost ~Apr 14
May73°50° 1 day 90°+
Jun81°59° 4 days 90°+
Jul85°64° 9 days 90°+
Aug83°62° 5 days 90°+
Sep77°55° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Oct65°43°
Nov now53°34° First frost ~Nov 1
Dec43°27° 4" snow

What stands out about East Cocalico Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Cocalico Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.

A normal year

What a year in East Cocalico Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 24°
7 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 14
Summer
83° / 62°
20 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 44°
First frost around Nov 1
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 198 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Holland 2 Se, PA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.

97
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
49th fewest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
87th fewest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
20
days that reach 90°
661st fewest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 50% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
167th most of 914 in Pennsylvania
More 100° days than 52% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts East Cocalico Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.5
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 27 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Reading 3.5 Sw, 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 142 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
414th wettest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 64% of U.S. towns
27"
Snow in a normal winter
544th snowiest of 904 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns
30 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
435th most of 744 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 59% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in East Cocalico Township

82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,067 heating degree daysLess heating than 56% of U.S. towns
1,085 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 59% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at New Holland 2 Se, PA.

Living here

Living with East Cocalico Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

198 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 Nov 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 11 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Cocalico Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

East Cocalico Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of East Cocalico Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Caernarvon Township: January low 22°, July high 85°East Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Fivepointville: January low 22°, July high 85°Brecknock Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Ephrata: January low 22°, July high 86°Warwick Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Akron: January low 22°, July high 86°West Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Rothsville: January low 22°, July high 86°Clay Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Hinkletown: January low 22°, July high 86°Stevens: January low 22°, July high 86°South Heidelberg Township: January low 21°, July high 84°Millcreek Township: January low 21°, July high 85°Lower Heidelberg Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Bern Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Sinking Spring: January low 22°, July high 86°Whitfield: January low 22°, July high 86°Wyomissing: January low 22°, July high 86°West Wyomissing: January low 22°, July high 86°Cumru Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Greenfields: January low 22°, July high 87°Springmont: January low 22°, July high 86°Leacock Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Upper Leacock Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Blue Ball: January low 22°, July high 85°Brecknock Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Ephrata Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Denver: January low 22°, July high 86°West Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Swartzville: January low 22°, July high 85°Adamstown: January low 22°, July high 85°Spring Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Reinholds: January low 22°, July high 85°Reamstown: January low 22°, July high 85°Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 85°East Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°East Cocalico TownshipBrecknock TownshipEphrata TownshipDenverWest Cocalico TownshipSwartzvilleAdamstownSpring TownshipReinholdsReamstownEarl Township
ColderMilder21° to 22°
Reinholds21.5° about the same
West Cocalico Township21.6° about the same
Swartzville21.7° about the same
Adamstown21.7° about the same
Spring Township21.7° about the same
East Cocalico Township21.8°
Denver21.8° about the same
Reamstown21.8° about the same
Brecknock Township21.9° about the same
Ephrata Township22.1° about the same
Earl Township22.2° about the same

Climates most like East Cocalico 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
East Cocalico Township, PA22°85°46"27"
New Martinsville, WV22°85°46"27"
Hebron, KY23°85°46"23"
Delhi Hills, OH23°86°46"23"
Lawrenceburg, IN23°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in East Cocalico Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 74% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.6°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.6°now 51°, was 49°
Summer+1.3°now 73°, was 71°
Fall+1.4°now 54°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How East Cocalico Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Cocalico Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns327th hottest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold22° January low
Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns240th mildest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 64% of U.S. towns414th wettest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Snow27" a winter
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns544th snowiest of 904 in Pennsylvania
Hot days20 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 50% of U.S. towns661st fewest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights97 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns49th fewest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Growing season198 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 65% of U.S. towns104th longest of 914 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

East Cocalico Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Cocalico Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reading 3.5 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°22°3.2"7.4"11821° – 38°
February41°23°2.5"9.5"121121° – 41°
March50°30°3.8"5.0"12534° – 50°
April63°40°3.6"0.3"13047° – 57°
May73°50°3.7"0.0"14056° – 67°
June81°59°4.3"0.0"13067° – 73°
July85°64°4.6"0.0"12070° – 78°
August83°62°4.4"0.0"11068° – 76°
September77°55°4.7"0.0"10063° – 70°
October65°43°4.2"0.3"12049° – 61°
November53°34°3.2"0.8"10138° – 48°
December43°27°3.7"3.9"12526° – 46°
Year63°43°45.8"27.2"14230
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where East Cocalico 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 East Cocalico Township’s center.
  • Snow: Reading 3.5 Sw, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Holland 2 Se, PA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 East Cocalico Township’s climate

What is the weather like in East Cocalico Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in East Cocalico Township in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 97 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.

How much snow does East Cocalico Township get?

About 27 inches in a normal winter at Reading 3.5 Sw, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.

How hot does it get in East Cocalico Township?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (New Holland 2 Se, PA).

When is the first and last frost in East Cocalico Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 198 frost-free days, at New Holland 2 Se, PA.

What growing zone is East Cocalico Township in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.

What is the best time of year to visit East Cocalico Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is East Cocalico Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Cocalico Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.