Photo: Coemgenus · CC BY-SA 4.0Wet weather: 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Topton, more than in 77% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 21°. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.8° rise. Garden planting can start around April 26; autumn frost returns near October 14.
A year in Topton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Topton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Topton’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Topton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Topton’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bechtelsville 1ene, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Topton
88% 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 Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA.
Living with Topton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Topton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Topton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Topton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Topton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topton, PA | 21° | 86° | 48" | 4.2" |
| Marshfield, MO | 23° | 87° | 46" | 5.2" |
| Linton, IN | 21° | 87° | 47" | 8.9" |
| Maysville, KY | 23° | 86° | 48" | 8.8" |
| Centralia, IL | 23° | 87° | 45" | 6.5" |
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 Topton averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Topton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Topton’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Topton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Topton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bechtelsville 1ene, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.5" | 1.4" | 8 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 2.7" | 1.9" | 5 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 9 | 33° – 49° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 7 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 26° – 46° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 48.3" | 4.2" | 94 |
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 6°.
Where Topton’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 Topton’s center.
- Snow: Bechtelsville 1ene, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA, 3 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 Topton’s climate
What is the weather like in Topton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Topton in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 131 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 20°.
How much snow does Topton get?
About 4.2 inches in a normal winter at Bechtelsville 1ene, PA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Topton?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 63°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Topton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 171 frost-free days, at Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA.
What growing zone is Topton in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Topton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Topton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Topton.
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.