Photo: JOHN LLOYD · CC BY 2.0In Red Lion, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 21°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 63° apart. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 19.
A year in Red Lion at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Red Lion’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Red Lion’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Red Lion feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Red Lion’s center in zone 7a: 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Red Lion
83% of the work is heating. 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 York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA.
Living with Red Lion’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 Oct 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Red Lion from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Red Lion and its neighbors
York Township 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 Red Lion’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lion, PA | 21° | 84° | 46" | 25" |
| Bridgeport, WV | 23° | 84° | 47" | 24" |
| Essex, CT | 21° | 83° | 47" | 28" |
| Bargersville, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 26" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 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 Red Lion averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 79% 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 Red Lion compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Red Lion’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Red Lion weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Red Lion’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.2" | 8.5" | 10 | 8 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.7" | 8.2" | 10 | 10 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 4.0" | 3.9" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 55° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.7" | 3.3" | 11 | 5 | 25° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 46.3" | 24.6" | 127 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Red Lion’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 Red Lion’s center.
- Snow: York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Red Lion’s climate
What is the weather like in Red Lion?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Red Lion in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Red Lion get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in Red Lion?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Red Lion?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 177 frost-free days, at York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, PA.
What growing zone is Red Lion in?
Zone 7a 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 Red Lion?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Red Lion getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Red Lion.
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.