Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0Afternoon heat in Gilberton trails that of 91% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 17°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 82% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Gilberton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gilberton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gilberton’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Gilberton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gilberton’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gilberton
94% 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 Mahanoy City 2 N, PA.
Living with Gilberton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gilberton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gilberton and its neighbors
Butler Township the hottest July afternoons (82°, 1° 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 Gilberton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilberton, PA | 17° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Woodstock, CT | 17° | 81° | 50" | 52" |
| Warren, MA | 16° | 81° | 50" | 43" |
| Rye, NH | 17° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
| Kittery, ME | 16° | 80° | 49" | 56" |
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 Gilberton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Gilberton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gilberton’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Gilberton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gilberton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mahanoy City 2 N, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 3.5" | 12.3" | 13 | 18 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 2.7" | 12.7" | 11 | 16 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 26° | 3.9" | 9.2" | 11 | 10 | 28° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 4.3" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 52° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 3.6" | 2.2" | 10 | 2 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 3.8" | 9.0" | 12 | 11 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 49.3" | 48.0" | 140 | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gilberton’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 Gilberton’s center.
- Snow: Mahanoy City 2 N, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Gilberton’s climate
What is the weather like in Gilberton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gilberton in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Gilberton get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 59 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gilberton?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 61°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mahanoy City 2 N, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Gilberton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 175 frost-free days, at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA.
What growing zone is Gilberton in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gilberton?
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 Gilberton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gilberton.
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.