Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0Upper Paxton Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Upper Paxton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upper Paxton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upper Paxton Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Upper Paxton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upper Paxton Township’s center in zone 6b: 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Selinsgrove 2 S, 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 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upper Paxton Township
89% 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 Selinsgrove 2 S, PA.
Living with Upper Paxton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upper Paxton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upper Paxton Township and its neighbors
Jackson Township has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 3° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Upper Paxton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Paxton Township, PA | 22° | 85° | 44" | 29" |
| Cumberland, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 27" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Melville, NY | 24° | 84° | 45" | 32" |
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 Upper Paxton Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Upper Paxton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upper Paxton Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Upper Paxton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upper Paxton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Selinsgrove 2 S, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 22° | 3.1" | 9.7" | 12 | 12 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 2.5" | 7.6" | 10 | 11 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 3.6" | 5.6" | 11 | 6 | 33° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 3.1" | 1.2" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 27° | 3.3" | 4.1" | 11 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 44.3" | 29.0" | 133 | 35 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Upper Paxton 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 Upper Paxton Township’s center.
- Snow: Selinsgrove 2 S, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Upper Paxton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Upper Paxton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upper Paxton Township in winter?
January nights average 22°. 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 Upper Paxton Township get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 35 days a year.
How hot does it get in Upper Paxton Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Selinsgrove 2 S, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Upper Paxton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 178 frost-free days, at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA.
What growing zone is Upper Paxton Township in?
Zone 6b 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 Upper Paxton Township?
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 Upper Paxton Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upper Paxton 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.