Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives softly in West Decatur, cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 17°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by October 1.
A year in West Decatur at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Decatur’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Decatur’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in West Decatur feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Philipsburg 2 S, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Decatur’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Philipsburg 2 S, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Decatur
95% 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 Philipsburg 2 S, PA.
Living with West Decatur’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Decatur from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Decatur and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Decatur in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Decatur’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Decatur, PA | 17° | 81° | 44" | 50" |
| Fenton, NY | 15° | 82° | 43" | 48" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Great Barrington, MA | 14° | 82° | 45" | 50" |
| Portsmouth, NH | 16° | 80° | 48" | 56" |
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 West Decatur averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 West Decatur compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Decatur’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
West Decatur weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Decatur’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Philipsburg 2 S, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 3.0" | 13.1" | 16 | 21 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 2.6" | 12.7" | 13 | 18 | 16° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 25° | 3.4" | 9.1" | 13 | 11 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.9" | 2.0" | 15 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 3.3" | 2.6" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 3.3" | 9.6" | 15 | 14 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 43.7" | 50.0" | 159 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where West Decatur’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 West Decatur’s center.
- Snow: Philipsburg 2 S, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Philipsburg 2 S, PA, 5 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 West Decatur’s climate
What is the weather like in West Decatur?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Decatur in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does West Decatur get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Philipsburg 2 S, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Decatur?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Philipsburg 2 S, PA).
When is the first and last frost in West Decatur?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 142 frost-free days, at Philipsburg 2 S, PA.
What growing zone is West Decatur in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Decatur?
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 West Decatur getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Decatur.
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.