Photo: Lee Paxton · CC BY-SA 4.0Plum’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Plum at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Plum’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Plum’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Plum feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Acmetonia Lock 3, PA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Plum’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salina 3 W, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Plum
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 Acmetonia Lock 3, PA.
Living with Plum’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 40 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Plum from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Plum and its neighbors
Oakmont the hottest July afternoons (85°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Plum’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plum, PA | 21° | 83° | 43" | 29" |
| New Albany, OH | 20° | 84° | 43" | 28" |
| New Castle, IN | 19° | 84° | 44" | 25" |
| Essex, CT | 21° | 83° | 47" | 28" |
| Riverhead, NY | 23° | 83° | 46" | 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 Plum averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Plum compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Plum’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Plum weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Plum’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salina 3 W, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 3.2" | 7.1" | 18 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 2.6" | 8.2" | 14 | 18° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 3.4" | 5.5" | 14 | 33° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 15 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 65° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.1" | 1.8" | 13 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.3" | 5.7" | 16 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 42.8" | 28.6" | 168 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Plum’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 Plum’s center.
- Snow: Salina 3 W, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Acmetonia Lock 3, PA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 370 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 Plum’s climate
What is the weather like in Plum?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Plum in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 117 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 21°.
How much snow does Plum get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Salina 3 W, PA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Plum?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Acmetonia Lock 3, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Plum?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 197 frost-free days, at Acmetonia Lock 3, PA.
What growing zone is Plum in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Plum?
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 Plum getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Plum.
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.