Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY 3.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Fayette City sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden planting can start around April 27; autumn frost returns near October 22.
A year in Fayette City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fayette City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fayette City’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Fayette City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Donora 1 Sw, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fayette City’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Donora 1 Sw, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 147 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fayette City
87% 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 Donora 1 Sw, PA.
Living with Fayette City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fayette City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fayette City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fayette City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fayette City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette City, PA | 22° | 84° | 41" | 21" |
| Xenia, OH | 22° | 85° | 42" | 20" |
| Yorktown, IN | 20° | 84° | 43" | 19" |
| Wytheville, VA | 24° | 83° | 42" | 18" |
| South Farmingdale, NY | 24° | 85° | 44" | 19" |
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 Fayette City 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 Fayette City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fayette City’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Fayette City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fayette City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Donora 1 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.1" | 5.7" | 15 | 9 | 23° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 2.7" | 7.2" | 12 | 7 | 20° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 3.4" | 4.6" | 13 | 3 | 34° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.1" | 3.3" | 13 | 5 | 25° – 46° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 41.2" | 21.4" | 147 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fayette City’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 Fayette City’s center.
- Snow: Donora 1 Sw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Donora 1 Sw, PA, 5 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 Fayette City’s climate
What is the weather like in Fayette City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fayette City in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 116 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Fayette City get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Donora 1 Sw, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fayette City?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Donora 1 Sw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Fayette City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Donora 1 Sw, PA.
What growing zone is Fayette City in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fayette City?
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 Fayette City 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 Fayette City.
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.