Penn Estates gets more rain and snow than 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 65°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 70% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 1 to October 12.
A year in Penn Estates at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Penn Estates’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Penn Estates’ place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Penn Estates feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Stroudsburg, PA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Penn Estates’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at E Stroudsburg, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Penn Estates
90% 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 E Stroudsburg, PA.
Living with Penn Estates’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Penn Estates from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 41%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Penn Estates and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Penn Estates yet.
Climates most like Penn Estates’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Estates, PA | 18° | 83° | 52" | 42" |
| Cumberland Hill, RI | 19° | 83° | 51" | 42" |
| Foxborough, MA | 19° | 83° | 51" | 48" |
| Hebron, CT | 19° | 83° | 49" | 39" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
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 Penn Estates averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger 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 Penn Estates compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Penn Estates’ place among Pennsylvania’s.
Penn Estates weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Penn Estates’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from E Stroudsburg, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.8" | 11.3" | 13 | 15 | 18° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 19° | 3.0" | 10.3" | 11 | 15 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 4.0" | 9.5" | 11 | 9 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 4.2" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 4.8" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 31° | 3.8" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 4.4" | 8.0" | 12 | 8 | 24° – 44° |
| Year | 60° | 39° | 52.2" | 41.6" | 142 | 47 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Penn Estates’ 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 Penn Estates’ center.
- Snow: E Stroudsburg, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Stroudsburg, PA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Penn Estates’ climate
What is the weather like in Penn Estates?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Penn Estates in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 137 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Penn Estates get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at E Stroudsburg, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in Penn Estates?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (E Stroudsburg, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Penn Estates?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 163 frost-free days, at E Stroudsburg, PA.
What growing zone is Penn Estates in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Penn Estates?
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 Penn Estates getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Penn Estates.
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.