Photo: Umrok · CC BY-SA 4.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Wilkes-Barre sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 66°. Its January nights bite harder than in 69% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Wilkes-Barre at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wilkes-Barre’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wilkes-Barre’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Wilkes-Barre feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wilkes-barre International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wilkes-Barre’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 41 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 Wilkes-Barre
88% 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 Wilkes-barre International Airport.
Living with Wilkes-Barre’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wilkes-Barre from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wilkes-Barre and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wilkes-Barre in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wilkes-Barre’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes-Barre, PA | 18° | 85° | 41" | 45" |
| Willow Springs, IL | 17° | 84° | 39" | 42" |
| Mount Vernon, OH | 19° | 84° | 41" | 42" |
| Mishawaka, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 50" |
| Weirton, WV | 21° | 84° | 41" | 44" |
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 Wilkes-Barre averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Wilkes-Barre compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wilkes-Barre’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Wilkes-Barre weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wilkes-Barre’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 | 35° | 18° | 2.8" | 11.7" | 13 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 2.2" | 10.9" | 11 | 17° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 3.0" | 10.1" | 12 | 30° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.8" | 12 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 85° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.7" | 11 | 47° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 3.2" | 10 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 3.0" | 7.7" | 12 | 23° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 39° | 40.7" | 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 23° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Wilkes-Barre’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 Wilkes-Barre’s center.
- Snow: Wilkes-barre International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wilkes-barre International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Wilkes-Barre’s climate
What is the weather like in Wilkes-Barre?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wilkes-Barre in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 122 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 17°.
How much snow does Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 61°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Wilkes-barre International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Wilkes-Barre?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 178 frost-free days, at Wilkes-barre International Airport.
What growing zone is Wilkes-Barre in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wilkes-Barre?
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 Wilkes-Barre getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wilkes-Barre.
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.