Thompson’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Thompson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thompson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thompson’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Thompson 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, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thompson’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 49 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 Thompson
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
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 Thompson’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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thompson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thompson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thompson yet.
Climates most like Thompson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson, PA | 14° | 78° | 49" | 69" |
| Brunswick, ME | 13° | 78° | 48" | 67" |
| Gilford, NH | 11° | 79° | 50" | 62" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
| Brattleboro, VT | 13° | 81° | 51" | 60" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Thompson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
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 Thompson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thompson’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Thompson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thompson’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° – 29° |
| February | 33° | 15° | 2.8" | 14.6" | 11 | 19 | 11° – 30° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 3.5" | 14.5" | 12 | 13 | 24° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 4.2" | 3.2" | 13 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 3.6" | 4.5" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 3.7" | 14.4" | 14 | 14 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 48.5" | 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 7°.
Where Thompson’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 Thompson’s center.
- Snow: Susquehanna, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA, 9 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 Thompson’s climate
What is the weather like in Thompson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, 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 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thompson 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 Thompson 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 Thompson?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA.
When is the first and last frost in Thompson?
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 Thompson 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 Thompson?
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 Thompson 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 Thompson.
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.