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Cowanshannock Creek floodplain, Valley TownshipPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Climate in Valley Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Valley Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns#185 coldest of 1,006 in PA
More snow than 68% of U.S. towns#314Snowiest  of 994 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Valley Township at a glance

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

Jan35°18° 12" snow
Feb38°20° 5" snow
Mar48°27° 6" snow
Apr61°37°
May71°46° Last frost ~May 41 day 90°+
Jun79°55° 3 days 90°+Wettest
Jul82°59° 7 days 90°+
Aug81°58° 5 days 90°+
Sep74°51° 2 days 90°+
Oct63°40° First frost ~Oct 16
Nov now50°31°
Dec39°24° 9" snow

What stands out about Valley Township’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Valley Township feels like

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

Winter
37° / 21°
12 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
60° / 36°
Last frost around May 4
Summer
81° / 57°
18 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 41°
First frost around Oct 16
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 164 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ford City 4 S Dam, PA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.

142
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
129th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More freezing nights than 78% of U.S. towns
5
nights at or below 0°
127th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More nights at or below 0° than 69% of U.S. towns
18
days that reach 90°
619th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 90° days than 54% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
369th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Valley Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.1
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 35 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
436th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 66% of U.S. towns
35"
Snow in a normal winter
314th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
More snow than 68% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.8"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

12"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Valley Township

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,194 heating degree daysMore heating than 72% of U.S. towns
617 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 76% 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 Ford City 4 S Dam, PA.

Living here

Living with Valley Township’s climate

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

The garden window

164 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 16.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Valley Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (91%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Valley Township and its neighbors

Rayburn Township the hottest July afternoons (84°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

East Franklin Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Washington Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Wayne Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Mahoning Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Pine Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Atwood: January low 19°, July high 83°Washington Township: January low 19°, July high 83°Plumcreek Township: January low 19°, July high 83°South Mahoning Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Kittanning Township: January low 19°, July high 83°Kittanning: January low 19°, July high 84°Manor Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Boggs Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Cowanshannock Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Rayburn Township: January low 19°, July high 84°Valley Township: January low 18°, July high 82°Valley TownshipBoggs TownshipCowanshannock TownshipRayburn Township
ColderMilder18° to 19°
Boggs Township18.1° about the same
Valley Township18.2°
Cowanshannock Township18.4° about the same
Rayburn Township18.8° about the same

Climates most like Valley 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Valley Township, PA18°82°46"35"
Monroe, NY18°83°48"36"
Plainfield, CT19°82°48"38"
Hopkinton, RI20°82°47"35"
Peabody, MA19°82°48"39"

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 Valley Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).

+1.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 65% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.8°now 29°, was 27°
Spring+1.3°now 48°, was 47°
Summer+0.7°now 69°, was 68°
Fall+0.8°now 52°, was 51°

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 Valley Township compares

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

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns177th coolest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns185th coldest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 66% of U.S. towns436th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Snow35" a winter
More snow than 68% of U.S. towns314th snowiest of 994 in Pennsylvania
Hot days18 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 54% of U.S. towns619th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights142 a year
More freezing nights than 78% of U.S. towns129th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Growing season164 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 79% of U.S. towns153rd shortest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Valley Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January35°18°3.5"12.4"1518° – 36°
February38°20°2.7"5.1"1215° – 37°
March48°27°3.6"5.9"1331° – 48°
April61°37°3.9"0.3"1444° – 54°
May71°46°4.1"0.0"1452° – 65°
June79°55°4.8"0.0"1363° – 70°
July82°59°4.8"0.0"1266° – 74°
August81°58°4.2"0.0"1165° – 74°
September74°51°4.2"0.0"1060° – 68°
October63°40°3.4"0.0"1147° – 57°
November50°31°3.4"1.7"1235° – 46°
December39°24°3.5"9.1"1422° – 43°
Year60°39°46.1"34.5"149
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Valley 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 Valley Township’s center.
  • Snow: Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ford City 4 S Dam, PA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 340 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 Valley Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Valley Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Valley Township in winter?

January nights average 18°. About 142 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.

How much snow does Valley Township get?

About 35 inches in a normal winter at Putneyville 2 Se Dam, PA, most of it in January.

How hot does it get in Valley Township?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Ford City 4 S Dam, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Valley Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 164 frost-free days, at Ford City 4 S Dam, PA.

What growing zone is Valley Township in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.

What is the best time of year to visit Valley Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Valley Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Valley Township.

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.