Afternoon heat in Foster Brook trails that of 90% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 15°. Its January nights bite harder than in 85% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 69–81°.
A year in Foster Brook at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Foster Brook’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Foster Brook’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Foster Brook 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, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Foster Brook’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 44 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 Foster Brook
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 Foster Brook’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Foster Brook from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Foster Brook and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Foster Brook in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Foster Brook’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Brook, PA | 15° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Norwich, NY | 14° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 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 Foster Brook averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Foster Brook compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Foster Brook’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Foster Brook weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Foster Brook’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 | 32° | 15° | 3.1" | 20.5" | 17 | 25 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 2.3" | 15.6" | 13 | 23 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 21° | 3.0" | 10.0" | 12 | 16 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 3.8" | 2.9" | 13 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.8" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 3.5" | 7.0" | 15 | 6 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.4" | 18.4" | 16 | 18 | 19° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 35° | 43.8" | 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 11° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Foster Brook’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 Foster Brook’s center.
- Snow: Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA, 8 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 Foster Brook’s climate
What is the weather like in Foster Brook?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Foster Brook 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 Foster Brook 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 Foster Brook?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Bradford 4sw Rsch 5, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Foster Brook?
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 Foster Brook in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Foster Brook?
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 Foster Brook getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Foster Brook.
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.