McElhattan’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in McElhattan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McElhattan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McElhattan’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in McElhattan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McElhattan’s center in zone 6b: 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 Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McElhattan
89% 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 Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA.
Living with McElhattan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McElhattan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McElhattan and its neighbors
Wayne Township has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like McElhattan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McElhattan, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
| Upper Arlington, OH | 21° | 85° | 41" | 28" |
| Pekin, IL | 17° | 86° | 39" | 26" |
| Hartford City, IN | 19° | 84° | 41" | 32" |
| Hudson, NY | 17° | 85° | 43" | 31" |
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 McElhattan averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 McElhattan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McElhattan’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
McElhattan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McElhattan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 2.8" | 7.5" | 12 | 12 | 18° – 35° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 2.2" | 7.9" | 10 | 12 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 27° | 3.0" | 6.2" | 11 | 6 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 63° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 2.9" | 5.9" | 12 | 6 | 24° – 41° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 40.8" | 29.6" | 136 | 37 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where McElhattan’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 McElhattan’s center.
- Snow: Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA, 4 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 McElhattan’s climate
What is the weather like in McElhattan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McElhattan in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does McElhattan get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in McElhattan?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA).
When is the first and last frost in McElhattan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 173 frost-free days, at Lock Haven Sewage Plt, PA.
What growing zone is McElhattan in?
Zone 6b 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 McElhattan?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is McElhattan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McElhattan.
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.