Photo: Violette79 from Brooklyn, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0Summer arrives softly in South Canaan Township, cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 16°. Its January nights bite harder than in 82% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 68–81°.
A year in South Canaan Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Canaan Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Canaan Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in South Canaan Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Canaan Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hawley 1 E, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Canaan Township
97% 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 Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA.
Living with South Canaan Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Canaan Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Canaan Township and its neighbors
Jefferson Township has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Canaan Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Canaan Township, PA | 16° | 81° | 46" | 47" |
| Winchendon, MA | 13° | 81° | 47" | 51" |
| Durham, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 39" |
| Eliot, ME | 15° | 81° | 48" | 56" |
| Woodstock, CT | 17° | 81° | 50" | 52" |
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 South Canaan Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger 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 South Canaan Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Canaan Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
South Canaan Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Canaan Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hawley 1 E, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 3.2" | 13.0" | 11 | 21 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 17° | 2.7" | 13.2" | 9 | 22 | 13° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 3.5" | 9.4" | 10 | 14 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 3.9" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.3" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.6" | 9.1" | 12 | 13 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 45.9" | 47.1" | 129 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Canaan Township’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 South Canaan Township’s center.
- Snow: Hawley 1 E, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA, 16 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 South Canaan Township’s climate
What is the weather like in South Canaan Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Canaan Township in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 169 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 South Canaan Township get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Hawley 1 E, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Canaan Township?
July, with a typical high of 81°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA.
When is the first and last frost in South Canaan Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 140 frost-free days, at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA.
What growing zone is South Canaan Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Canaan Township?
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 South Canaan Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Canaan Township.
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.