Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0The climate in Lower Swatara Township sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 86°. Precipitation peaks in September and eases off in February. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Lower Swatara Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lower Swatara Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lower Swatara Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Lower Swatara Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lower Swatara Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lower Swatara Township
81% of the work is heating. 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 Middletown Harrisburg International Airport.
Living with Lower Swatara Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lower Swatara Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lower Swatara Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lower Swatara Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lower Swatara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Swatara Township, PA | 23° | 86° | 45" | 30" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Francisville, KY | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Oxford, OH | 21° | 85° | 44" | 25" |
| Harrison, NY | 23° | 85° | 47" | 33" |
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 Lower Swatara Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Lower Swatara Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lower Swatara Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Lower Swatara Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lower Swatara Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Middletown Harrisburg International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 23° | 3.1" | 9.1" | 11 | 9 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 24° | 2.6" | 9.4" | 10 | 9 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 50° | 31° | 3.7" | 5.6" | 11 | 4 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.5" | 4.4" | 10 | 4 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 44.8" | 29.9" | 126 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lower Swatara 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 Lower Swatara Township’s center.
- Snow: Middletown Harrisburg International Airport (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, 1.7 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 Lower Swatara Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Lower Swatara Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lower Swatara Township in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Lower Swatara Township get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lower Swatara Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Middletown Harrisburg International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Lower Swatara Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 206 frost-free days, at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport.
What growing zone is Lower Swatara Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lower Swatara Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lower Swatara Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lower Swatara 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.