Photo: Canadian2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0No extremes in Hunker: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 21°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.8° higher. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 65–83°.
A year in Hunker at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hunker’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hunker’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Hunker feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Pleasant, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hunker’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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mt Pleasant, 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 150 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hunker
91% 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 Mt Pleasant, PA.
Living with Hunker’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hunker from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hunker and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hunker in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hunker’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunker, PA | 21° | 83° | 44" | 30" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
| Brookhaven, NY | 23° | 83° | 46" | 32" |
| Essex, CT | 21° | 83° | 47" | 28" |
| New Castle, IN | 19° | 84° | 44" | 25" |
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 Hunker averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Hunker compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hunker’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Hunker weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hunker’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Pleasant, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.4" | 9.0" | 16 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.9" | 7.5" | 12 | 19° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 3.5" | 5.6" | 13 | 33° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 14 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.2" | 0.9" | 12 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 3.3" | 6.4" | 14 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 43.7" | 29.8" | 150 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hunker’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 Hunker’s center.
- Snow: Mt Pleasant, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Pleasant, 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 Hunker’s climate
What is the weather like in Hunker?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hunker in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Hunker get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Mt Pleasant, PA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Hunker?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Mt Pleasant, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Hunker?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 164 frost-free days, at Mt Pleasant, PA.
What growing zone is Hunker 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 Hunker?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hunker getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hunker.
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.