Photo: Ron Shawley · CC BY 3.0Summers, winters and rain in Saxton all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Garden chairs stay out from May to June and August to October, the months with highs of 64–83°.
A year in Saxton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Saxton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Saxton’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Saxton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Raystown Lake 2, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Saxton’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saxton 1w, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Saxton
87% 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 Raystown Lake 2, PA.
Living with Saxton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Saxton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Saxton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Saxton yet.
Climates most like Saxton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxton, PA | 21° | 85° | 40" | 23" |
| Delaware, OH | 20° | 85° | 41" | 24" |
| Marion, IN | 19° | 84° | 41" | 25" |
| Savoy, IL | 18° | 85° | 40" | 21" |
| Fishersville, VA | 25° | 85° | 41" | 22" |
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 Saxton averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Saxton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Saxton’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Saxton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Saxton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saxton 1w, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 2.7" | 5.7" | 10 | 6 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 2.3" | 8.5" | 7 | 8 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 28° | 3.4" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 3.1" | 5.5" | 9 | 4 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 40.4" | 22.8" | 113 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Saxton’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 Saxton’s center.
- Snow: Saxton 1w, PA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Raystown Lake 2, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Saxton’s climate
What is the weather like in Saxton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Saxton in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 126 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 Saxton get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Saxton 1w, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Saxton?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 61°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Raystown Lake 2, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Saxton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 191 frost-free days, at Raystown Lake 2, PA.
What growing zone is Saxton in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Saxton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Saxton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Saxton.
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.