Penn State Erie (Behrend) gets about 104 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 80°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 26; autumn frost returns near November 4.
A year in Penn State Erie (Behrend) at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Penn State Erie (Behrend) feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Erie International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s 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 104 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Erie International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 167 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Penn State Erie (Behrend)
89% 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 Erie International Airport.
Living with Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Penn State Erie (Behrend) from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Penn State Erie (Behrend) and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Penn State Erie (Behrend) yet.
Climates most like Penn State Erie (Behrend)’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Erie (Behrend), PA | 18° | 80° | 46" | 104" |
| Skaneateles, NY | 15° | 80° | 43" | 106" |
| Cumberland, ME | 13° | 80° | 49" | 84" |
| Lenox, MA | 14° | 81° | 46" | 77" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 State Erie (Behrend) averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 State Erie (Behrend) compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Penn State Erie (Behrend) weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Erie International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 3.6" | 31.8" | 20 | 20 | 16° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 2.6" | 19.4" | 15 | 17 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 3.1" | 14.5" | 14 | 9 | 27° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 3.6" | 2.6" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 3.9" | 9.6" | 15 | 5 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 4.0" | 26.3" | 19 | 12 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 46.0" | 104.3" | 167 | 63 |
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 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Penn State Erie (Behrend)’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 Penn State Erie (Behrend)’s center.
- Snow: Erie International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Erie International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 State Erie (Behrend)’s climate
What is the weather like in Penn State Erie (Behrend)?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 104 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Penn State Erie (Behrend) in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 111 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 16°.
How much snow does Penn State Erie (Behrend) get?
About 104 inches in a normal winter at Erie International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Penn State Erie (Behrend)?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Erie International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Penn State Erie (Behrend)?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 192 frost-free days, at Erie International Airport.
What growing zone is Penn State Erie (Behrend) 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 State Erie (Behrend)?
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 State Erie (Behrend) getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Penn State Erie (Behrend).
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.