Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Rheems

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Climate in Rheems · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Weather without surprises: Rheems keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns

July afternoons average 85°. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.

More snow than 53% of U.S. towns#722Snowiest  of 994 in PA
Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns#240Mildest winters  of 1,006 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Rheems at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°22° 7" snow
Feb41°23° 9" snow
Mar50°31° 3" snow
Apr63°40° Last frost ~Apr 30
May73°50° 1 day 90°+
Jun81°60° 4 days 90°+
Jul85°65° 8 days 90°+
Aug83°63° 5 days 90°+
Sep76°56° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Oct65°44° First frost ~Oct 10
Nov now53°34°
Dec43°27° 5" snow

What stands out about Rheems’ climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rheems’ place in Pennsylvania beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Rheems feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 24°
5 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 30
Summer
83° / 62°
20 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 45°
First frost around Oct 10
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 162 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Landisville 2 Nw, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

122
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
470th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More freezing nights than 58% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
303rd most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More nights at or below 0° than 57% of U.S. towns
20
days that reach 90°
229th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
202nd most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More 100° days than 52% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Rheems’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

26
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.4
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 24 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at York Haven, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.

45"
Rain + melted snow a year
537th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns
24"
Snow in a normal winter
722nd snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 53% of U.S. towns
19 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
116th fewest of 822 in Pennsylvania
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 53% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Rheems

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.

5,747 heating degree daysMore heating than 60% of U.S. towns
729 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 66% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Landisville 2 Nw, PA.

Living here

Living with Rheems’ climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

162 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 10.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rheems from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Rheems and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Rheems in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Rapho Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Marietta: January low 22°, July high 86°Hellam Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Mount Joy: January low 22°, July high 86°West Hempfield Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Conoy Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Mount Joy Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Londonderry Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Elizabethtown: January low 22°, July high 85°East Donegal Township: January low 22°, July high 86°West Donegal Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Rheems: January low 22°, July high 85°RheemsEast Donegal TownshipWest Donegal Township
ColderMilder22° to 22°
Rheems21.9°
East Donegal Township21.9° about the same
West Donegal Township21.9° about the same

Climates most like Rheems’, 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Rheems, PA22°85°45"24"
Francisville, KY23°86°45"23"
Delhi Hills, OH23°86°46"23"
New Martinsville, WV22°85°46"27"
Lawrenceburg, IN23°86°45"23"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Rheems averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.5°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.6°now 51°, was 50°
Summer+1.6°now 73°, was 71°
Fall+1.5°now 55°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Rheems compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rheems’ place among Pennsylvania’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns590th coolest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold22° January low
Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns240th mildest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation45" a year
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns537th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Snow24" a winter
More snow than 53% of U.S. towns722nd snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
Hot days20 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns229th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights122 a year
More freezing nights than 58% of U.S. towns470th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Growing season162 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 82% of U.S. towns124th shortest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Rheems weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rheems’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from York Haven, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°22°3.1"7.0"10520° – 38°
February41°23°2.6"8.8"9821° – 40°
March50°31°3.7"3.0"10335° – 51°
April63°40°3.7"0.0"11047° – 57°
May73°50°3.9"0.0"13057° – 67°
June81°60°4.2"0.0"10067° – 73°
July85°65°4.5"0.0"11070° – 79°
August83°63°4.1"0.0"10069° – 76°
September76°56°4.6"0.0"8063° – 70°
October65°44°4.1"0.0"9049° – 61°
November53°34°3.2"0.1"9038° – 49°
December43°27°3.5"4.8"10326° – 45°
Year63°43°44.9"23.7"12019
Year to year

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 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Rheems’ 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 Rheems’ center.
  • Snow: York Haven, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Landisville 2 Nw, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Rheems’ climate

What is the weather like in Rheems?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Rheems in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 122 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 20°.

How much snow does Rheems get?

About 24 inches in a normal winter at York Haven, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.

How hot does it get in Rheems?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Landisville 2 Nw, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Rheems?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 162 frost-free days, at Landisville 2 Nw, PA.

What growing zone is Rheems in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.

What is the best time of year to visit Rheems?

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 Rheems getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rheems.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.