Afternoon heat in Washington Township trails that of 78% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 17°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 65°. Its January nights bite harder than in 75% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 70–82°.
A year in Washington Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Washington Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washington Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Washington Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Montrose, PA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washington Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wilkes-barre International Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washington Township
96% 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 Montrose, PA.
Living with Washington Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washington Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (89%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washington Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Washington Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township, PA | 17° | 82° | 43" | 45" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Belchertown, MA | 16° | 83° | 46" | 43" |
| Mishawaka, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 50" |
| Auburn, NH | 14° | 83° | 45" | 53" |
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 Washington Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Washington Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washington Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Washington Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washington Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wilkes-barre International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 3.0" | 11.7" | 13 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 2.3" | 10.9" | 11 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.3" | 10.1" | 12 | 28° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 12 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.7" | 11 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 3.0" | 3.2" | 10 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 3.1" | 7.7" | 12 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 43.0" | 45.1" | 139 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Washington 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 Washington Township’s center.
- Snow: Wilkes-barre International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Montrose, PA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher; 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 Washington Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Washington Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washington Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Washington Township get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Wilkes-barre International Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Washington Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Montrose, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Washington Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 141 frost-free days, at Montrose, PA.
What growing zone is Washington Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Washington Township?
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 Washington Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Washington 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.