Photo: Joeyvandernaald · CC BY-SA 4.0July in Gold Key Lake stays fresher than in 90% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 16°. Its January nights bite harder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–81°.
A year in Gold Key Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gold Key Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gold Key Lake’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Gold Key Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hawley 1 E, PA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gold Key Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Matamoras, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gold Key Lake
95% 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 Hawley 1 E, PA.
Living with Gold Key Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gold Key Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gold Key Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gold Key Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gold Key Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Key Lake, PA | 16° | 81° | 48" | 41" |
| Warren, MA | 16° | 81° | 50" | 43" |
| Durham, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 39" |
| Kennebunk, ME | 14° | 81° | 49" | 49" |
| Thompson, CT | 18° | 82° | 50" | 39" |
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 Gold Key Lake averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Gold Key Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gold Key Lake’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Gold Key Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gold Key Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Matamoras, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 3.4" | 11.6" | 12 | 18 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 36° | 18° | 2.8" | 9.7" | 9 | 14 | 13° – 33° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.7" | 6.8" | 12 | 9 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.9" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 4.0" | 10.0" | 12 | 9 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 48.4" | 40.8" | 135 | 51 |
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 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gold Key Lake’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 Gold Key Lake’s center.
- Snow: Matamoras, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hawley 1 E, PA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower; 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 Gold Key Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Gold Key Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gold Key Lake in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 164 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 Gold Key Lake get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Matamoras, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gold Key Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Hawley 1 E, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Gold Key Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 146 frost-free days, at Hawley 1 E, PA.
What growing zone is Gold Key Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gold Key Lake?
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 Gold Key Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gold Key Lake.
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.