Photo: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0July in Elk Township stays fresher than in 94% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 15°. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In January, nights here are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Elk Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Elk Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 162 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Township
96% 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 Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA.
Living with Elk Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elk Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Township, PA | 15° | 79° | 48" | 75" |
| South Portland, ME | 16° | 79° | 49" | 69" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
| Walton, NY | 13° | 80° | 47" | 71" |
| Rindge, NH | 13° | 80° | 48" | 73" |
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 Elk Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Elk Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Elk Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.7" | 20.5" | 17 | 25 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 2.7" | 15.6" | 13 | 23 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 3.2" | 10.0" | 12 | 16 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 4.0" | 2.9" | 13 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.8" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.9" | 7.0" | 15 | 6 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 4.0" | 18.4" | 16 | 18 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 47.5" | 75.2" | 162 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elk 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 Elk Township’s center.
- Snow: Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Elk Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Township in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Elk Township get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elk Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Elk Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 140 frost-free days, at Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA.
What growing zone is Elk Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elk Township?
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 Elk Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk 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.