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Nescopeck MountainPhoto: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0
Climate in Main Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Main Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 67% of U.S. towns#329Snowiest  of 994 in PA
Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns#223 coldest of 1,006 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Main Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan34°19° 9" snow
Feb38°20° 9" snow
Mar47°27° 8" snow
Apr60°37° Last frost ~Apr 27
May71°47° 1 day 90°+
Jun79°57° 2 days 90°+
Jul83°61° 5 days 90°+
Aug81°59° 2 days 90°+
Sep74°52° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Oct62°41° First frost ~Oct 20
Nov now50°32°
Dec39°24° 5" snow

What stands out about Main Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Main Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Main Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
37° / 21°
10 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 37°
Last frost around Apr 27
Summer
81° / 59°
10 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 41°
First frost around Oct 20
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 172 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bear Gap, PA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.

127
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
371st most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More freezing nights than 64% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
383rd most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More nights at or below 0° than 55% of U.S. towns
10
days that reach 90°
262nd fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
369th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Main Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 34 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Bear Gap, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.

43"
Rain + melted snow a year
741st wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 53% of U.S. towns
34"
Snow in a normal winter
329th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 67% of U.S. towns
40 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
301st most of 822 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 65% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.5"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Main Township

90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,922 heating degree daysMore heating than 64% of U.S. towns
654 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 72% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bear Gap, PA.

Living here

Living with Main Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

172 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 20.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Main Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Main Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Main Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Catawissa: January low 19°, July high 83°Montour Township: January low 19°, July high 83°Bloomsburg: January low 19°, July high 84°Franklin Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Rupert: January low 19°, July high 84°Locust Township: January low 18°, July high 81°Mount Pleasant Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Lightstreet: January low 19°, July high 84°North Centre Township: January low 18°, July high 84°Orange Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Lime Ridge: January low 19°, July high 84°Union Township: January low 18°, July high 81°Mifflinville: January low 19°, July high 84°Black Creek Township: January low 18°, July high 82°North Union Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Briar Creek: January low 19°, July high 85°Berwick: January low 19°, July high 85°Nescopeck: January low 19°, July high 85°Catawissa Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Scott Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Almedia: January low 19°, July high 84°Roaring Creek Township: January low 18°, July high 82°South Centre Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Beaver Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Espy: January low 19°, July high 84°Mifflin Township: January low 18°, July high 84°Main Township: January low 19°, July high 83°Main TownshipCatawissa TownshipScott TownshipAlmediaRoaring Creek TownshipSouth Centre TownshipBeaver TownshipEspyMifflin Township
ColderMilder18° to 19°
Beaver Township17.9° about the same
Roaring Creek Township18.1° about the same
Catawissa Township18.4° about the same
Mifflin Township18.4° about the same
Scott Township18.5° about the same
Almedia18.5° about the same
South Centre Township18.5° about the same
Main Township18.6°
Espy18.7° about the same

Climates most like Main 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Main Township, PA19°83°43"34"
Kokomo, IN18°84°42"34"
Louisville, OH20°83°41"32"
Ghent, NY16°84°42"31"
Granby, MA16°84°45"37"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Main Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).

+1.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 54% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.3°now 29°, was 27°
Spring+0.9°now 48°, was 47°
Summer+0.9°now 70°, was 69°
Fall+1.1°now 52°, was 51°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Main Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Main Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns276th coolest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold19° January low
Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns223rd coldest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation43" a year
Wetter than 53% of U.S. towns741st wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Snow34" a winter
More snow than 67% of U.S. towns329th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
Hot days10 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns262nd fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights127 a year
More freezing nights than 64% of U.S. towns371st most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Growing season172 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 69% of U.S. towns247th shortest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Main Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Main Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bear Gap, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January34°19°3.0"9.3"111217° – 35°
February38°20°2.3"8.9"91416° – 36°
March47°27°3.4"7.7"11730° – 48°
April60°37°3.9"0.8"12044° – 54°
May71°47°3.9"0.0"13054° – 64°
June79°57°4.1"0.0"12064° – 70°
July83°61°4.2"0.0"12067° – 76°
August81°59°4.0"0.0"11066° – 74°
September74°52°4.5"0.0"10060° – 67°
October62°41°3.9"0.4"11046° – 58°
November50°32°3.0"1.8"10135° – 45°
December39°24°3.2"4.6"11523° – 41°
Year60°40°43.2"33.5"13440
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Main 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 Main Township’s center.
  • Snow: Bear Gap, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bear Gap, PA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Main Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Main Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Main Township in winter?

January nights average 19°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.

How much snow does Main Township get?

About 34 inches in a normal winter at Bear Gap, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.

How hot does it get in Main Township?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Bear Gap, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Main Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 172 frost-free days, at Bear Gap, PA.

What growing zone is Main Township in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.

What is the best time of year to visit Main Township?

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 Main Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Main Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.