Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Polk Township gets more rain and snow than 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 18°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.9°, most of all in December. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 71–83°.
A year in Polk Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Polk Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Polk Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Polk Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 12 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Polk Township’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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, falls mostly in February. 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 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Polk Township
91% 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 Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
Living with Polk Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Polk Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Polk Township and its neighbors
Indian Mountain Lake has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Polk Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Township, PA | 18° | 83° | 52" | 27" |
| Raynham, MA | 20° | 84° | 51" | 26" |
| East Haddam, CT | 20° | 83° | 49" | 28" |
| West Greenwich, RI | 20° | 82° | 51" | 35" |
| Durham, NH | 15° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
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 Polk Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Polk Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Polk Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Polk Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Polk Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lehighton 1ssw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 3.7" | 7.8" | 11 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 19° | 2.9" | 9.8" | 9 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 4.0" | 6.3" | 10 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 35° | 4.2" | 0.4" | 11 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 4.3" | 2.7" | 11 | 23° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 51.6" | 27.3" | 132 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Polk Township’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 Polk Township’s center.
- Snow: Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 520 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Polk Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Polk Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Polk Township in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 132 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 17°.
How much snow does Polk Township get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Polk Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lehighton 1ssw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Polk Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
What growing zone is Polk Township 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 Polk Township?
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 Polk Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Polk Township.
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.