In McKee, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 20° on average. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Garden chairs stay out from May to June and August to October, the months with highs of 64–83°.
A year in McKee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McKee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McKee’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in McKee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Altoona Blair Co Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts McKee’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Altoona 7 Sw, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 145 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McKee
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 Altoona Blair Co Airport.
Living with McKee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McKee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McKee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McKee yet.
Climates most like McKee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKee, PA | 20° | 84° | 40" | 38" |
| Hartford City, IN | 19° | 84° | 41" | 32" |
| Mount Vernon, OH | 19° | 84° | 41" | 42" |
| Blue Island, IL | 17° | 84° | 39" | 39" |
| Wappinger, NY | 19° | 85° | 44" | 36" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in McKee averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 McKee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McKee’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
McKee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McKee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altoona 7 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 20° | 2.7" | 10.6" | 13 | 14 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 2.3" | 10.6" | 12 | 14 | 19° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 27° | 3.3" | 6.6" | 12 | 6 | 32° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.7" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 3.0" | 7.5" | 13 | 8 | 23° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 40.3" | 38.0" | 145 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where McKee’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 McKee’s center.
- Snow: Altoona 7 Sw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Altoona Blair Co Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 400 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 McKee’s climate
What is the weather like in McKee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McKee in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 118 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 20°.
How much snow does McKee get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Altoona 7 Sw, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in McKee?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Altoona Blair Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in McKee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 177 frost-free days, at Altoona Blair Co Airport.
What growing zone is McKee 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 McKee?
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 McKee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McKee.
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.