Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Afternoon heat in Oswayo trails that of 94% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 14°. In January, nights here are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 69–79°.
A year in Oswayo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oswayo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oswayo’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Oswayo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oswayo’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oswayo
97% 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 Oswayo 1 Ene, PA.
Living with Oswayo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oswayo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oswayo and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Oswayo in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Oswayo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswayo, PA | 14° | 79° | 42" | 60" |
| Duanesburg, NY | 13° | 80° | 41" | 54" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 80° | 42" | 61" |
| Augusta, ME | 10° | 80° | 45" | 69" |
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 Oswayo averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Oswayo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oswayo’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Oswayo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oswayo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oswayo 1 Ene, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 2.8" | 14.1" | 15 | 21 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 2.2" | 12.3" | 13 | 21 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 2.8" | 11.3" | 14 | 16 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 3.5" | 1.9" | 13 | 2 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.7" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 3.1" | 5.1" | 13 | 5 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 3.0" | 14.7" | 16 | 17 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 41.7" | 60.3" | 164 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Oswayo’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 Oswayo’s center.
- Snow: Oswayo 1 Ene, PA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Oswayo’s climate
What is the weather like in Oswayo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oswayo in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Oswayo get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oswayo?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Oswayo 1 Ene, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Oswayo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 130 frost-free days, at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA.
What growing zone is Oswayo in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oswayo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oswayo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oswayo.
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.