Photo: Nyttend · Public domainNo extremes in South Heights: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 21°. July is the wettest month, February the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 64% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 8, with the first autumn frost due around November 8.
A year in South Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Heights’ place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in South Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 212 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Heights’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Heights
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 Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA.
Living with South Heights’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
212 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 8 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 8.
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 South Heights from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Heights and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Heights in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Heights’, 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 Heights, PA | 21° | 84° | 39" | 20" |
| London, OH | 20° | 84° | 41" | 20" |
| Wabash, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
| Staunton, VA | 25° | 85° | 41" | 22" |
| Savoy, IL | 18° | 85° | 40" | 21" |
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 Heights averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Heights’ place among Pennsylvania’s.
South Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 2.8" | 9.1" | 15 | 7 | 21° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.4" | 5.2" | 13 | 5 | 18° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 13 | 2 | 34° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 2.9" | 2.5" | 13 | 3 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 39.1" | 19.8" | 138 | 17 |
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 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Heights’ 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 Heights’ center.
- Snow: Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA, 2.4 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 South Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in South Heights?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Heights in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 93 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does South Heights get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Heights?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA).
When is the first and last frost in South Heights?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 212 frost-free days, at Glenwillard Dashields L&d, PA.
What growing zone is South Heights in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Heights?
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 South Heights getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Heights.
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.