Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0A middle-of-the-road climate: Shamokin Dam is close to most U.S. towns on every count
Nights in January average 20°. The wettest month is September; the driest is February. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 30 to October 13.
A year in Shamokin Dam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shamokin Dam’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shamokin Dam’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Shamokin Dam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sunbury, PA, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shamokin Dam’s center in zone 6b: 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shamokin Dam
90% 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 Sunbury, PA.
Living with Shamokin Dam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shamokin Dam from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shamokin Dam and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Shamokin Dam in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shamokin Dam’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamokin Dam, PA | 20° | 85° | 43" | 29" |
| Reynoldsburg, OH | 21° | 84° | 43" | 28" |
| McCordsville, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 27" |
| Wappinger, NY | 19° | 85° | 44" | 36" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 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 Shamokin Dam averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Shamokin Dam compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shamokin Dam’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Shamokin Dam weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shamokin Dam’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Selinsgrove 2 S, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 3.0" | 9.7" | 12 | 12 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 22° | 2.4" | 7.6" | 10 | 11 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 3.3" | 5.6" | 11 | 6 | 32° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 3.0" | 1.2" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 26° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 11 | 6 | 24° – 42° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 42.7" | 29.0" | 133 | 35 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shamokin Dam’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 Shamokin Dam’s center.
- Snow: Selinsgrove 2 S, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sunbury, PA, 1.9 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 Shamokin Dam’s climate
What is the weather like in Shamokin Dam?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shamokin Dam in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Shamokin Dam get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 35 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shamokin Dam?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Sunbury, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Shamokin Dam?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 166 frost-free days, at Sunbury, PA.
What growing zone is Shamokin Dam in?
Zone 6b 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 Shamokin Dam?
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 Shamokin Dam getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shamokin Dam.
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.