Photo: Ruhrfisch · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers in Wellsboro are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 15°. Temperatures cover 66° across the year, low to high. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 84% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by October 5.
A year in Wellsboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wellsboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wellsboro’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Wellsboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wellsboro’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Covington 2 Wsw, PA, is heaviest from January through March, about 12 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wellsboro
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 Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA.
Living with Wellsboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wellsboro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wellsboro and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wellsboro in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wellsboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellsboro, PA | 15° | 81° | 40" | 54" |
| Cobleskill, NY | 13° | 81° | 40" | 54" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
| Great Barrington, MA | 14° | 82° | 45" | 50" |
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 Wellsboro averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Wellsboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wellsboro’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Wellsboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wellsboro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Covington 2 Wsw, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 15° | 2.7" | 12.4" | 10 | 19 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 2.2" | 11.5" | 8 | 18 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 3.0" | 11.9" | 9 | 13 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.8" | 10 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 3.0" | 3.8" | 8 | 5 | 33° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 2.9" | 10.8" | 10 | 14 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 40.4" | 54.0" | 113 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Wellsboro’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 Wellsboro’s center.
- Snow: Covington 2 Wsw, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Wellsboro’s climate
What is the weather like in Wellsboro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wellsboro in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Wellsboro get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Covington 2 Wsw, PA, heaviest from January through March, about 12 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wellsboro?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Wellsboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 148 frost-free days, at Wellsboro 4 Sw, PA.
What growing zone is Wellsboro in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wellsboro?
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 Wellsboro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wellsboro.
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.