West Hazleton’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in West Hazleton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Hazleton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Hazleton’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in West Hazleton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Hazleton’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tamaqua 4 N Dam, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Hazleton
94% 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 Mahanoy City 2 N, PA.
Living with West Hazleton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Hazleton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Hazleton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Hazleton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Hazleton’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 Hazleton, PA | 16° | 79° | 49" | 42" |
| Biddeford, ME | 16° | 79° | 49" | 49" |
| Warren, MA | 16° | 81° | 50" | 43" |
| Durham, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 39" |
| Woodstock, CT | 17° | 81° | 50" | 52" |
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 Hazleton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Hazleton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Hazleton’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
West Hazleton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Hazleton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tamaqua 4 N Dam, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 3.4" | 12.8" | 10 | 14 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 35° | 17° | 2.6" | 9.7" | 9 | 13 | 14° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 3.6" | 10.5" | 9 | 10 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 4.2" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 74° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 51° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 40° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.6" | 1.6" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 3.8" | 4.8" | 11 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 48.7" | 41.5" | 116 | 47 |
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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where West Hazleton’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 Hazleton’s center.
- Snow: Tamaqua 4 N Dam, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 West Hazleton’s climate
What is the weather like in West Hazleton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Hazleton in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 139 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 14°.
How much snow does West Hazleton get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Tamaqua 4 N Dam, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Hazleton?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mahanoy City 2 N, PA).
When is the first and last frost in West Hazleton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 175 frost-free days, at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA.
What growing zone is West Hazleton 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 West Hazleton?
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 Hazleton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Hazleton.
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.