Photo: Public domain · Public domainStarrucca sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
In January the night’s low is typically 14°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 65° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 14 to October 1.
A year in Starrucca at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Starrucca’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Starrucca’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Starrucca 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, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Starrucca’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°
About 69 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Susquehanna, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Starrucca
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 Starrucca’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Starrucca from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Starrucca and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Starrucca in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Starrucca’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starrucca, PA | 14° | 79° | 48" | 69" |
| Topsham, ME | 13° | 79° | 48" | 67" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Brattleboro, VT | 13° | 81° | 51" | 60" |
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 Starrucca averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Starrucca compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Starrucca’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Starrucca weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Starrucca’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Susquehanna, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 3.4" | 17.5" | 14 | 22 | 13° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 15° | 2.8" | 14.6" | 11 | 19 | 11° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 3.5" | 14.5" | 12 | 13 | 25° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 4.1" | 3.2" | 13 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.6" | 4.5" | 11 | 3 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 20° | 3.6" | 14.4" | 14 | 14 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 48.1" | 69.0" | 149 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Starrucca’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 Starrucca’s center.
- Snow: Susquehanna, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA, 10 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 Starrucca’s climate
What is the weather like in Starrucca?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Starrucca in winter?
January nights average 14°. 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 13°.
How much snow does Starrucca get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter at Susquehanna, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Starrucca?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA.
When is the first and last frost in Starrucca?
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 Starrucca 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 Starrucca?
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 Starrucca getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Starrucca.
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.