Photo: Alexvallejo at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives softly in Howe Township, cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 17°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 78% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 24; in half of years the first frost comes by September 28.
A year in Howe Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Howe Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Howe Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Howe Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kane 1nne, PA, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Howe Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ridgway, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Howe Township
97% 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 Kane 1nne, PA.
Living with Howe Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 195 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Howe Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Howe Township and its neighbors
Wetmore Township has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 2° colder) and Kingsley Township the hottest July afternoons (81°, 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 Howe Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howe Township, PA | 17° | 80° | 46" | 53" |
| Portsmouth, NH | 16° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
| Kittery, ME | 16° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
| Templeton, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 51" |
| Deerpark, NY | 16° | 81° | 49" | 43" |
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 Howe Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Howe Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Howe Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Howe Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Howe Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ridgway, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 3.5" | 15.3" | 17 | 21 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 17° | 2.6" | 12.5" | 14 | 18 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 3.4" | 7.5" | 14 | 9 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 4.0" | 1.5" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 3.7" | 3.2" | 13 | 3 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 3.6" | 12.3" | 17 | 13 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 46.3" | 52.7" | 166 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Howe Township’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 Howe Township’s center.
- Snow: Ridgway, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kane 1nne, PA, 16 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 Howe Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Howe Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Howe Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Howe Township get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Ridgway, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Howe Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Kane 1nne, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Howe Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 126 frost-free days, at Kane 1nne, PA.
What growing zone is Howe Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Howe Township?
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 Howe Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Howe Township.
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.