More precipitation falls on Nottingham than on 78% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. Warming shows here too: 1.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Nottingham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nottingham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nottingham’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Nottingham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Octoraro Lake, PA, 3 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nottingham’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Octoraro Lake, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nottingham
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Octoraro Lake, PA.
Living with Nottingham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nottingham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nottingham and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Nottingham in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Nottingham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham, PA | 23° | 86° | 49" | 18" |
| North Vernon, IN | 23° | 86° | 48" | 17" |
| Cynthiana, KY | 24° | 87° | 48" | 16" |
| Withamsville, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 16" |
| Clarksburg, WV | 23° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
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 Nottingham averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Nottingham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nottingham’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Nottingham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nottingham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Octoraro Lake, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 3.4" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 2.7" | 7.1" | 10 | 5 | 22° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 4.3" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 57° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 4.1" | 3.0" | 11 | 2 | 29° – 46° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 48.5" | 18.1" | 124 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Nottingham’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 Nottingham’s center.
- Snow: Octoraro Lake, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Octoraro Lake, PA, 3 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Nottingham’s climate
What is the weather like in Nottingham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nottingham in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 125 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 23°.
How much snow does Nottingham get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Octoraro Lake, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Nottingham?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Octoraro Lake, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Nottingham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 179 frost-free days, at Octoraro Lake, PA.
What growing zone is Nottingham in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nottingham?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Nottingham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nottingham.
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.