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Climate in Mount Oliver · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Mount Oliver’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 78% of U.S. towns#163Snowiest  of 993 in PA
Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns#626 coldest of 1,005 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Mount Oliver at a glance

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

Jan37°22° 13" snow
Feb41°24° 12" snow
Mar50°31° 8" snow
Apr63°40° Last frost ~Apr 18
May72°50°
Jun80°58° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Jul84°62° 4 days 90°+
Aug82°61° 3 days 90°+
Sep76°54° 1 day 90°+
Oct65°43° First frost ~Oct 28
Nov now52°34°
Dec42°27° 8" snow

What stands out about Mount Oliver’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Mount Oliver feels like

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

Winter
40° / 24°
15 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 18
Summer
82° / 61°
8 days reach 90°
Fall
64° / 44°
First frost around Oct 28
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 193 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.

106
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
109th fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer freezing nights than 57% of U.S. towns
1
nights at or below 0°
247th fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 55% of U.S. towns
8
days that reach 90°
252nd fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 81% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Mount Oliver’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

25
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.0
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 44 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Pittsburgh International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 154 days a year.

41"
Rain + melted snow a year
68th driest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns
44"
Snow in a normal winter
163rd snowiest of 993 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns
40 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
269th most of 821 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 66% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

13"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Mount Oliver

87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,407 heating degree daysMore heating than 52% of U.S. towns
826 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 58% 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 Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport.

Living here

Living with Mount Oliver’s climate

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

The garden window

193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 28.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Oliver from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Mount Oliver and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mount Oliver yet.

Climates most like Mount Oliver’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
Mount Oliver, PA22°84°41"44"
East Chicago, IN19°83°38"39"
Walden, NY18°84°44"44"
Chicago, IL18°84°38"39"
Three Rivers, MI17°83°38"41"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Mount Oliver averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).

+1.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 65% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.8°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.3°now 51°, was 50°
Summer+0.6°now 71°, was 71°
Fall+0.9°now 54°, was 53°

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 Mount Oliver compares

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

Summer heat84° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns356th coolest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold22° January low
Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns626th coldest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation41" a year
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns68th driest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Snow44" a winter
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns163rd snowiest of 993 in Pennsylvania
Hot days8 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 81% of U.S. towns252nd fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights106 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 57% of U.S. towns109th fewest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Growing season193 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 61% of U.S. towns162nd longest of 1,005 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Mount Oliver weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Oliver’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pittsburgh International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January37°22°3.0"13.3"171421° – 39°
February41°24°2.6"11.7"141119° – 41°
March50°31°3.3"7.6"14534° – 52°
April63°40°3.5"1.0"14046° – 57°
May72°50°3.9"0.0"14054° – 68°
June80°58°4.4"0.0"12065° – 72°
July84°62°4.3"0.0"11069° – 77°
August82°61°3.7"0.0"11067° – 77°
September76°54°3.5"0.0"10061° – 69°
October65°43°3.0"0.4"11050° – 60°
November52°34°2.9"2.4"12137° – 49°
December42°27°3.2"7.7"15824° – 45°
Year62°42°41.1"44.1"15440
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 19° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Mount Oliver’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 Mount Oliver’s center.
  • Snow: Pittsburgh International Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Mount Oliver’s climate

What is the weather like in Mount Oliver?

A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Mount Oliver in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.

How much snow does Mount Oliver get?

About 44 inches in a normal winter at Pittsburgh International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.

How hot does it get in Mount Oliver?

July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Mount Oliver?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 193 frost-free days, at Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport.

What growing zone is Mount Oliver in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.

What is the best time of year to visit Mount Oliver?

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 Mount Oliver getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Oliver.

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.