Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Shirleysburg sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 86°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 61% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Shirleysburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shirleysburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shirleysburg’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Shirleysburg 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, 12 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shirleysburg’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 40 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shirleysburg
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 Shirleysburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shirleysburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shirleysburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shirleysburg yet.
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 Shirleysburg averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Shirleysburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shirleysburg’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Shirleysburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shirleysburg’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 2.7" | 21° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.4" | 20° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 3.2" | 34° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 3.6" | 47° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 3.9" | 56° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 58° | 3.8" | 66° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 3.6" | 69° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.5" | 68° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 4.1" | 62° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.4" | 49° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 2.8" | 37° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 3.1" | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 39.9" |
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 Shirleysburg’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 Shirleysburg’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Raystown Lake 2, PA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 Shirleysburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Shirleysburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 21°. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shirleysburg 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 21°.
How hot does it get in Shirleysburg?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Raystown Lake 2, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Shirleysburg?
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 Shirleysburg in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shirleysburg?
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 Shirleysburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shirleysburg.
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.