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Peach United Church of Christ, Swartzville, PA, Jan. 2025Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Swartzville · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

A middle-of-the-road climate: Swartzville is close to most U.S. towns on every count

Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 64% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.8° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 14, with the first autumn frost due around November 1.

More snow than 58% of U.S. towns#584Snowiest  of 994 in PA
Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns#655 coldest of 1,006 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Swartzville at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°22° 7" snow
Feb41°23° 10" snow
Mar50°30° 5" snow
Apr63°40° Last frost ~Apr 14
May73°50° 1 day 90°+
Jun81°59° 4 days 90°+
Jul85°64° 9 days 90°+Wettest
Aug83°62° 5 days 90°+
Sep77°55° 2 days 90°+
Oct65°43°
Nov now53°34° First frost ~Nov 1
Dec43°27° 4" snow

What stands out about Swartzville’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Swartzville’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Swartzville feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 24°
7 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 14
Summer
83° / 62°
20 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 44°
First frost around Nov 1
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 198 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Holland 2 Se, PA, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

97
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
60th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
112th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
20
days that reach 90°
707th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 50% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
202nd most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More 100° days than 52% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Swartzville’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.5
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 27 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Reading 3.5 Sw, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
451st wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 64% of U.S. towns
27"
Snow in a normal winter
584th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns
30 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
476th most of 822 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 59% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Swartzville

82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,067 heating degree daysLess heating than 56% of U.S. towns
1,085 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 59% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at New Holland 2 Se, PA.

Living here

Living with Swartzville’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

198 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Swartzville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Swartzville and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Swartzville in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Ephrata Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Denver: January low 22°, July high 86°West Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Spring Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Reinholds: January low 22°, July high 85°Reamstown: January low 22°, July high 85°Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Caernarvon Township: January low 22°, July high 85°East Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Fivepointville: January low 22°, July high 85°Brecknock Township: January low 22°, July high 85°East Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Brecknock Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Adamstown: January low 22°, July high 85°Swartzville: January low 22°, July high 85°SwartzvilleEast Cocalico TownshipBrecknock TownshipAdamstown
ColderMilder22° to 22°
Swartzville21.7°
Adamstown21.7° about the same
East Cocalico Township21.8° about the same
Brecknock Township21.9° about the same

Climates most like Swartzville’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Swartzville, PA22°85°46"27"
New Martinsville, WV22°85°46"27"
Hebron, KY23°85°46"23"
Delhi Hills, OH23°86°46"23"
Cumberland, IN20°85°44"27"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Swartzville averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 77% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.7°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.6°now 51°, was 49°
Summer+1.4°now 72°, was 71°
Fall+1.4°now 55°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Swartzville compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Swartzville’s place among Pennsylvania’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns590th coolest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold22° January low
Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns655th coldest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 64% of U.S. towns451st wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Snow27" a winter
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns584th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
Hot days20 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 50% of U.S. towns707th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights97 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns60th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Growing season198 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 65% of U.S. towns121st longest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Swartzville weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Swartzville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reading 3.5 Sw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°22°3.2"7.4"11821° – 38°
February41°23°2.5"9.5"121121° – 40°
March50°30°3.8"5.0"12534° – 50°
April63°40°3.6"0.3"13047° – 56°
May73°50°3.7"0.0"14056° – 67°
June81°59°4.3"0.0"13067° – 73°
July85°64°4.7"0.0"12070° – 78°
August83°62°4.4"0.0"11068° – 76°
September77°55°4.7"0.0"10063° – 70°
October65°43°4.2"0.3"12049° – 61°
November53°34°3.2"0.8"10138° – 48°
December43°27°3.7"3.9"12526° – 46°
Year63°43°45.9"27.2"14230
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Swartzville’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 Swartzville’s center.
  • Snow: Reading 3.5 Sw, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Holland 2 Se, PA, 11 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 Swartzville’s climate

What is the weather like in Swartzville?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Swartzville in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 97 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.

How much snow does Swartzville get?

About 27 inches in a normal winter at Reading 3.5 Sw, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.

How hot does it get in Swartzville?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (New Holland 2 Se, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Swartzville?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 198 frost-free days, at New Holland 2 Se, PA.

What growing zone is Swartzville in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.

What is the best time of year to visit Swartzville?

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 Swartzville getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Swartzville.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.