Portage Historic District · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainSummers in Portage are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 18°. Winter and summer sit 63° apart. In January, nights here are colder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Portage at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Portage’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Portage’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Portage feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Portage’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Altoona 3 W, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. 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 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Portage
96% 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 Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA.
Living with Portage’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 2.
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 Portage from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Portage and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Portage yet.
Climates most like Portage’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage, PA | 18° | 82° | 43" | 38" |
| Aurora, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 45" |
| Fenton, NY | 15° | 82° | 43" | 48" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| Hopkinton, RI | 20° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
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 Portage averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Portage compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Portage’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Portage weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Portage’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altoona 3 W, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 3.1" | 10.1" | 15 | 16 | 18° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 2.7" | 11.0" | 12 | 15 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 3.5" | 7.6" | 12 | 8 | 30° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 3.1" | 1.2" | 14 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 3.3" | 7.6" | 14 | 10 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 42.7" | 38.1" | 159 | 50 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Portage’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 Portage’s center.
- Snow: Altoona 3 W, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher; 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 Portage’s climate
What is the weather like in Portage?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Portage in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Portage get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Altoona 3 W, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 50 days a year.
How hot does it get in Portage?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Portage?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 136 frost-free days, at Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA.
What growing zone is Portage in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Portage?
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 Portage getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Portage.
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.