In Lawson Heights, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 69% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.8° higher. Garden planting can start around May 1; autumn frost returns near October 13.
A year in Lawson Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lawson Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lawson Heights’ place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Lawson Heights 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, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lawson Heights’ 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Derry 4 Sw, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lawson Heights
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 Lawson Heights’ 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. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lawson Heights from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lawson Heights and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lawson Heights in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lawson Heights’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson Heights, PA | 21° | 84° | 47" | 48" |
| Wilton, CT | 20° | 84° | 49" | 49" |
| Lewisboro, NY | 20° | 84° | 49" | 49" |
| Valley Falls, RI | 20° | 83° | 50" | 48" |
| Attleboro, MA | 20° | 83° | 50" | 48" |
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 Lawson Heights 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 Lawson Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lawson Heights’ place among Pennsylvania’s.
Lawson Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lawson Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Derry 4 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.5" | 14.6" | 15 | 14 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 3.0" | 10.7" | 12 | 12 | 18° – 41° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 3.8" | 9.6" | 13 | 6 | 33° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.5" | 2.2" | 12 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 3.7" | 10.0" | 13 | 10 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 46.8" | 48.2" | 140 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lawson Heights’ 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 Lawson Heights’ center.
- Snow: Derry 4 Sw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Pleasant, PA, 8 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 Lawson Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in Lawson Heights?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lawson Heights 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 Lawson Heights get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Derry 4 Sw, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lawson Heights?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Mt Pleasant, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Lawson Heights?
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 Lawson Heights 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 Lawson Heights?
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 Lawson Heights 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 Lawson Heights.
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.