July in Gaines Township stays fresher than in 84% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 16°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.9° higher. Garden planting can start around May 10; autumn frost returns near October 5.
A year in Gaines Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gaines Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gaines Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Gaines Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gaines Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 57 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galeton, PA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; September 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 Gaines 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 Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA.
Living with Gaines Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gaines Township 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 →Gaines Township and its neighbors
Clymer Township has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gaines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township, PA | 16° | 82° | 41" | 57" |
| Niskayuna, NY | 14° | 82° | 41" | 56" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Great Barrington, MA | 14° | 82° | 45" | 50" |
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 Gaines Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Gaines Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gaines Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Gaines Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gaines Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galeton, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.8" | 14.0" | 16 | 21 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 2.2" | 11.8" | 13 | 19 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 23° | 3.1" | 11.0" | 15 | 12 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.3" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 14 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.1" | 13.0" | 16 | 14 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 58° | 35° | 41.3" | 56.7" | 162 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gaines 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 Gaines Township’s center.
- Snow: Galeton, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA, 10 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 Gaines Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Gaines Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gaines Township in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Gaines Township get?
About 57 inches in a normal winter at Galeton, PA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gaines Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Gaines Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 148 frost-free days, at Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA.
What growing zone is Gaines Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gaines 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 Gaines Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gaines 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.