Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHawthorn has cooler summers than 81% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 18°. A year here swings 65° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by October 12.
A year in Hawthorn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hawthorn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hawthorn’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Hawthorn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hawthorn’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hawthorn
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 Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA.
Living with Hawthorn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 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 12.
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 Hawthorn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hawthorn and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hawthorn in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hawthorn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn, PA | 18° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Monroe, NY | 18° | 83° | 48" | 36" |
| Plainfield, CT | 19° | 82° | 48" | 38" |
| Peabody, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
| Hopkinton, RI | 20° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
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 Hawthorn averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Hawthorn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hawthorn’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Hawthorn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hawthorn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 3.4" | 12.4" | 15 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 2.6" | 5.1" | 12 | 13° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 25° | 3.5" | 5.9" | 13 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 14 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 63° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 3.4" | 1.7" | 12 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 3.5" | 9.1" | 14 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 45.4" | 34.5" | 149 |
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 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hawthorn’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 Hawthorn’s center.
- Snow: Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Hawthorn’s climate
What is the weather like in Hawthorn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hawthorn in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Hawthorn get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Hawthorn?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Hawthorn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 155 frost-free days, at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA.
What growing zone is Hawthorn 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 Hawthorn?
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 Hawthorn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hawthorn.
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.