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Lehigh county - FullertonPhoto: CyberXRef · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Fullerton · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

For weather, Fullerton is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get

Expect July afternoons of about 87°. Temperatures cover 67° across the year, low to high. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 72% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 20 to October 24.

More snow than 66% of U.S. towns#342Snowiest  of 993 in PA
Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns#407 coldest of 1,005 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Fullerton at a glance

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

Jan39°20° 10" snow
Feb42°22° 11" snow
Mar51°29° 6" snow
Apr63°39° Last frost ~Apr 20
May74°49° 1 day 90°+
Jun82°58° 3 days 90°+
Jul87°63° 8 days 90°+Wettest
Aug84°61° 5 days 90°+
Sep77°54° 2 days 90°+
Oct66°42° First frost ~Oct 24
Nov now54°33°
Dec43°26° 5" snow

What stands out about Fullerton’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Fullerton feels like

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

Winter
41° / 23°
8 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
63° / 39°
Last frost around Apr 20
Summer
84° / 61°
18 days reach 90°
Fall
66° / 43°
First frost around Oct 24
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 184 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Allentown International Airport, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

118
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
649th most of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
More freezing nights than 54% of U.S. towns
1
nights at or below 0°
280th fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 54% of U.S. towns
18
days that reach 90°
662nd fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
369th fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Fullerton’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

27
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 33 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Allentown International Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. 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 129 days a year.

47"
Rain + melted snow a year
324th wettest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 72% of U.S. towns
33"
Snow in a normal winter
342nd snowiest of 993 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns
31 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
439th most of 821 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 60% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Fullerton

84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,293 heating degree daysLess heating than 51% of U.S. towns
981 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 54% 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 Allentown International Airport.

Living here

Living with Fullerton’s climate

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

The garden window

184 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 24.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 8.9 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fullerton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Fullerton and its neighbors

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

Northampton: January low 20°, July high 86°Coplay: January low 20°, July high 86°North Whitehall Township: January low 20°, July high 86°North Catasauqua: January low 20°, July high 87°Cementon: January low 20°, July high 86°Hokendauqua: January low 20°, July high 87°Egypt: January low 20°, July high 86°Salisbury Township: January low 20°, July high 86°Dorneyville: January low 21°, July high 87°Cetronia: January low 20°, July high 87°Bethlehem: January low 20°, July high 86°Emmaus: January low 20°, July high 85°Hanover Township: January low 20°, July high 86°Wescosville: January low 21°, July high 87°Lower Macungie Township: January low 21°, July high 86°Upper Macungie Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Whitehall Township: January low 20°, July high 86°Allentown: January low 20°, July high 87°Catasauqua: January low 20°, July high 87°Hanover Township: January low 20°, July high 86°South Whitehall Township: January low 20°, July high 87°Fullerton: January low 20°, July high 87°FullertonWhitehall TownshipAllentownCatasauquaHanover TownshipSouth Whitehall Township
ColderMilder20° to 21°
Whitehall Township20.1° about the same
Hanover Township20.2° about the same
Fullerton20.3°
Catasauqua20.3° about the same
Allentown20.4° about the same
South Whitehall Township20.4° about the same

Climates most like Fullerton’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
Fullerton, PA20°87°47"33"
Kensington, CT19°85°48"39"
New Martinsville, WV22°85°46"27"
Lawrenceburg, IN23°86°45"23"
Villa Hills, KY23°86°46"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 Fullerton averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).

+2.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 94% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.1°now 32°, was 29°
Spring+1.9°now 51°, was 49°
Summer+1.8°now 73°, was 71°
Fall+1.8°now 54°, was 52°

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 Fullerton compares

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

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns68th hottest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold20° January low
Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns407th coldest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation47" a year
Wetter than 72% of U.S. towns324th wettest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Snow33" a winter
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns342nd snowiest of 993 in Pennsylvania
Hot days18 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns662nd fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights118 a year
More freezing nights than 54% of U.S. towns649th most of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Growing season184 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 52% of U.S. towns553rd shortest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Fullerton weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fullerton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Allentown International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January39°20°3.4"9.8"11920° – 37°
February42°22°2.7"10.8"101120° – 39°
March51°29°3.7"6.3"11634° – 49°
April63°39°3.8"0.5"12047° – 57°
May74°49°3.7"0.0"12057° – 67°
June82°58°4.3"0.0"11067° – 73°
July87°63°4.9"0.0"11070° – 79°
August84°61°4.7"0.0"10068° – 76°
September77°54°4.6"0.0"10062° – 70°
October66°42°4.2"0.2"10048° – 61°
November54°33°3.3"0.9"9138° – 48°
December43°26°3.9"4.6"12526° – 46°
Year63°41°47.3"33.1"12931
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 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Fullerton’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 Fullerton’s center.
  • Snow: Allentown International Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Allentown International Airport, 2.1 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 Fullerton’s climate

What is the weather like in Fullerton?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Fullerton in winter?

January nights average 20°. About 118 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.

How much snow does Fullerton get?

About 33 inches in a normal winter at Allentown International Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 31 days a year.

How hot does it get in Fullerton?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Allentown International Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Fullerton?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 184 frost-free days, at Allentown International Airport.

What growing zone is Fullerton in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.

What is the best time of year to visit Fullerton?

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

Is Fullerton getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fullerton.

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.