Photo: Nicholas from Pennsylvania, USA · CC BY 2.0July in Smethport stays fresher than in 87% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 15°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 70–81°.
A year in Smethport at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smethport’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smethport’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Smethport feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port Allegany, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smethport’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Port Allegany, PA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 165 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smethport
96% 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 Port Allegany, PA.
Living with Smethport’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smethport from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smethport and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smethport yet.
Climates most like Smethport’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smethport, PA | 15° | 81° | 43" | 55" |
| Sand Lake, NY | 15° | 82° | 43" | 53" |
| Great Barrington, MA | 14° | 82° | 45" | 50" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Goffstown, NH | 14° | 82° | 46" | 53" |
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 Smethport averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
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 Smethport compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smethport’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Smethport weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smethport’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Port Allegany, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3.0" | 14.1" | 16 | 20 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 2.3" | 12.1" | 13 | 17 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 22° | 3.0" | 9.4" | 14 | 10 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 3.8" | 1.7" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 3.4" | 3.9" | 14 | 4 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.2" | 13.3" | 16 | 13 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 35° | 42.9" | 55.1" | 165 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Smethport’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 Smethport’s center.
- Snow: Port Allegany, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port Allegany, 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 Smethport’s climate
What is the weather like in Smethport?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smethport in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Smethport get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Port Allegany, PA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Smethport?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Port Allegany, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Smethport?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 144 frost-free days, at Port Allegany, PA.
What growing zone is Smethport in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smethport?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Smethport 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 Smethport.
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.