Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.0Weather without surprises: South Middleton Township keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 22°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 64°. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 23 to October 18.
A year in South Middleton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Middleton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Middleton Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in South Middleton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carlisle Wtp, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Middleton Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pine Grove Furnace, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; September 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 Middleton Township
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 Carlisle Wtp, PA.
Living with South Middleton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 32 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Middleton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Middleton Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Middleton Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Middleton 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 Middleton Township, PA | 22° | 86° | 44" | 31" |
| Nyack, NY | 22° | 86° | 47" | 33" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Newport, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Westwood, NJ | 23° | 87° | 48" | 33" |
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 Middleton Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Middleton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Middleton Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
South Middleton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Middleton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pine Grove Furnace, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 3.1" | 10.4" | 10 | 11 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 2.6" | 8.0" | 9 | 13 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 3.7" | 6.5" | 11 | 7 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.5" | 4.4" | 10 | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 44.3" | 30.7" | 129 | 38 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Middleton 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 Middleton Township’s center.
- Snow: Pine Grove Furnace, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carlisle Wtp, PA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Middleton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in South Middleton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Middleton Township in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does South Middleton Township get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Pine Grove Furnace, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 38 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Middleton Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Carlisle Wtp, PA).
When is the first and last frost in South Middleton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 177 frost-free days, at Carlisle Wtp, PA.
What growing zone is South Middleton Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Middleton Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Middleton Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Middleton 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.