Afternoon heat in Hartstown trails that of 85% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 18°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Tender plants can go out after about May 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 14.
A year in Hartstown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hartstown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hartstown’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Hartstown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jamestown 2 Nw, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hartstown’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jamestown 2 Nw, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hartstown
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 Jamestown 2 Nw, PA.
Living with Hartstown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hartstown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hartstown and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hartstown in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hartstown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartstown, PA | 18° | 81° | 44" | 62" |
| Rowley, MA | 18° | 81° | 48" | 62" |
| Newmarket, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 65" |
| Plattekill, NY | 17° | 83° | 45" | 59" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 Hartstown averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
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 Hartstown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hartstown’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Hartstown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hartstown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jamestown 2 Nw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 18° | 3.1" | 18.6" | 17 | 19 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 18° | 2.4" | 13.3" | 13 | 17 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 3.2" | 9.5" | 13 | 9 | 28° – 48° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 3.9" | 1.6" | 14 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.3" | 5.0" | 14 | 3 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 3.4" | 13.4" | 16 | 13 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 44.3" | 61.5" | 161 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Hartstown’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 Hartstown’s center.
- Snow: Jamestown 2 Nw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jamestown 2 Nw, PA, 6 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 Hartstown’s climate
What is the weather like in Hartstown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hartstown in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 146 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 17°.
How much snow does Hartstown get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Jamestown 2 Nw, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hartstown?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Jamestown 2 Nw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Hartstown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 161 frost-free days, at Jamestown 2 Nw, PA.
What growing zone is Hartstown in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hartstown?
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 Hartstown 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 Hartstown.
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.