Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0West Penn Township gets more rain and snow than 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
July afternoons average 84°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 65°. Its January nights bite harder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 21; in half of years the first frost comes by October 23.
A year in West Penn Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Penn Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Penn Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in West Penn Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Penn Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tamaqua, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Penn 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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
Living with West Penn Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 7.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Penn Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Penn Township and its neighbors
Tamaqua has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Penn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Penn Township, PA | 19° | 84° | 52" | 43" |
| West Hartford, CT | 19° | 85° | 51" | 39" |
| Easton, MA | 19° | 84° | 50" | 50" |
| Woonsocket, RI | 18° | 83° | 50" | 42" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in West Penn Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Penn Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Penn Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
West Penn Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Penn Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tamaqua, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 3.7" | 12.6" | 13 | 17 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 2.9" | 11.6" | 10 | 16 | 18° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 4.0" | 8.4" | 12 | 9 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 4.1" | 1.4" | 12 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.7" | 1.6" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 4.3" | 7.1" | 12 | 9 | 25° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 51.5" | 42.8" | 134 | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where West Penn 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 West Penn Township’s center.
- Snow: Tamaqua, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lehighton 1ssw, PA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 West Penn Township’s climate
What is the weather like in West Penn Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Penn Township in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 132 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does West Penn Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Tamaqua, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 53 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Penn Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lehighton 1ssw, PA).
When is the first and last frost in West Penn Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Lehighton 1ssw, PA.
What growing zone is West Penn Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Penn Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Penn Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Penn 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.