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Lehigh county - SlatedalePhoto: CyberXRef · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Slatedale · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Slatedale gets more rain and snow than 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches of precipitation a year

The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 19°. Temperatures cover 66° across the year, low to high. Its January nights bite harder than in 62% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to June and August to October, with highs of 64–83°.

Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns#282 coldest of 915 in PA
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns#532Snowiest  of 905 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Slatedale at a glance

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

Jan37°19° 8" snow
Feb41°21° 10" snow
Mar49°28° 6" snow
Apr62°37° Last frost ~Apr 21
May73°48°
Jun81°57° 1 day 90°+
Jul85°62° 3 days 90°+Wettest
Aug83°60°
Sep76°53°
Oct64°41° First frost ~Oct 23
Nov now52°32°
Dec42°25°

What stands out about Slatedale’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Slatedale feels like

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

Winter
40° / 22°
9 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
61° / 38°
Last frost around Apr 21
Summer
83° / 59°
4 days reach 90°
Fall
64° / 42°
First frost around Oct 23
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 184 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

Short record. NOAA estimated Lehighton 1ssw, PA’s counts from 9 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
132
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
241st most of 915 in Pennsylvania
More freezing nights than 69% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
262nd most of 915 in Pennsylvania
More nights at or below 0° than 58% of U.S. towns
4
days that reach 90°
96th fewest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 92% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
348th fewest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Slatedale’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

3.2
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 27 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.

50"
Rain + melted snow a year
67th wettest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns
27"
Snow in a normal winter
532nd snowiest of 905 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Slatedale

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,027 heating degree daysMore heating than 67% of U.S. towns
581 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 79% 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 Lehighton 1ssw, PA.

Living here

Living with Slatedale’s climate

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

The garden window

184 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 23.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Slatedale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Slatedale and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Slatedale yet.

Climates most like Slatedale’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Slatedale, PA19°85°50"27"
North Haven, CT20°84°48"34"
Taunton, MA20°84°50"26"
Clarksburg, WV23°85°47"24"
Elsmere, KY23°85°47"23"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Slatedale averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+2.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 31°, was 28°
Spring+1.6°now 49°, was 48°
Summer+1.6°now 71°, was 70°
Fall+1.6°now 53°, was 51°

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 Slatedale compares

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

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns310th hottest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold19° January low
Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns282nd coldest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns67th wettest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Snow27" a winter
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns532nd snowiest of 905 in Pennsylvania
Hot days4 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 92% of U.S. towns96th fewest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights132 a year
More freezing nights than 69% of U.S. towns241st most of 915 in Pennsylvania
Growing season184 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 52% of U.S. towns517th shortest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Slatedale weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Slatedale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lehighton 1ssw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January37°19°3.5"7.8"1119° – 36°
February41°21°2.8"9.8"918° – 38°
March49°28°3.8"6.3"1032° – 48°
April62°37°4.0"0.4"1145° – 55°
May73°48°4.0"0.0"1456° – 66°
June81°57°4.9"0.0"1365° – 72°
July85°62°5.0"0.0"1268° – 77°
August83°60°4.6"0.0"1167° – 75°
September76°53°4.9"0.0"1061° – 69°
October64°41°4.5"0.0"1147° – 60°
November52°32°3.6"0.3"1037° – 47°
December42°25°4.0"2.7"1125° – 45°
Year62°40°49.6"27.3"132
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Slatedale’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 Slatedale’s center.
  • Snow: Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 6 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 Slatedale’s climate

What is the weather like in Slatedale?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Slatedale in winter?

January nights average 19°. About 132 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 19°.

How much snow does Slatedale get?

About 27 inches in a normal winter at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, most of it in February.

How hot does it get in Slatedale?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lehighton 1ssw, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Slatedale?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Lehighton 1ssw, PA.

What growing zone is Slatedale in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.

What is the best time of year to visit Slatedale?

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 Slatedale getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.