A middle-of-the-road climate: New Salem is close to most U.S. towns on every count
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 22° on average. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 63% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in New Salem at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Salem’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Salem’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in New Salem feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Uniontown 1 Ne, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Salem’s center in zone 7a: 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Uniontown 1 Ne, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New Salem
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Uniontown 1 Ne, PA.
Living with New Salem’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New Salem from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Salem and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of New Salem in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like New Salem’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem, PA | 22° | 84° | 45" | 28" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
| Essex, CT | 21° | 83° | 47" | 28" |
| Hauppauge, NY | 23° | 84° | 46" | 32" |
| Cumberland, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 27" |
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 New Salem averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 New Salem compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Salem’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
New Salem weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Salem’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Uniontown 1 Ne, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 3.4" | 10.0" | 17 | 12 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 2.9" | 8.2" | 14 | 8 | 20° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 3.7" | 4.9" | 14 | 4 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 3.1" | 0.9" | 13 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.4" | 3.6" | 15 | 5 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 44.5" | 28.1" | 161 | 29 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where New Salem’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 New Salem’s center.
- Snow: Uniontown 1 Ne, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Uniontown 1 Ne, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 New Salem’s climate
What is the weather like in New Salem?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Salem in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 129 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 23°.
How much snow does New Salem get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Uniontown 1 Ne, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 29 days a year.
How hot does it get in New Salem?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Uniontown 1 Ne, PA).
When is the first and last frost in New Salem?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 171 frost-free days, at Uniontown 1 Ne, PA.
What growing zone is New Salem in?
Zone 7a 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 New Salem?
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 New Salem getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Salem.
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.