Photo: Nyttend · Public domainGeistown’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Geistown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Geistown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Geistown’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Geistown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Johnstown Cambria Co Airport, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Geistown’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dunlo, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 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 Geistown
93% 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 Johnstown Cambria Co Airport.
Living with Geistown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Geistown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Geistown and its neighbors
Belmont the hottest July afternoons (83°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Geistown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geistown, PA | 18° | 80° | 47" | 74" |
| Hampton, NH | 17° | 80° | 48" | 63" |
| Newbury, MA | 18° | 81° | 48" | 62" |
| South Portland, ME | 16° | 79° | 49" | 69" |
| Windsor, NY | 14° | 80° | 45" | 69" |
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 Geistown averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Geistown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Geistown’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Geistown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Geistown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dunlo, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 3.6" | 23.6" | 17 | 23 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 3.2" | 17.5" | 13 | 21 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 4.0" | 9.6" | 13 | 12 | 30° – 48° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 4.0" | 2.6" | 12 | 2 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.5" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 3.5" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 3.8" | 14.8" | 14 | 16 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 47.1" | 74.1" | 147 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Geistown’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 Geistown’s center.
- Snow: Dunlo, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Johnstown Cambria Co Airport, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft higher; 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 Geistown’s climate
What is the weather like in Geistown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Geistown in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Geistown get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Dunlo, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Geistown?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Johnstown Cambria Co Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Geistown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 176 frost-free days, at Johnstown Cambria Co Airport.
What growing zone is Geistown in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Geistown?
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 Geistown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Geistown.
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.