Central has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 97 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Central at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Central’s climate
Read from where Central sits among Pennsylvania’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
97 inches of snow, 44 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Central feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 21.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
Living with Central’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
176 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 21.
About 97" a winter over 42 days with an inch or more, most in January.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 93% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
90° days are rare: July afternoons average 79°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Central averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Central compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Pennsylvania.
Central weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 3.3" | 29.0" | 18 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 3.0" | 22.7" | 14 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.8" | 15.1" | 14 | 29° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.8" | 4.2" | 13 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.4" | 0 | 15 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.3" | 0 | 13 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.3" | 0 | 12 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 12 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.4" | 1.2" | 12 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.9" | 4.9" | 13 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.4" | 19.8" | 16 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 44.4" | 96.9" | 164 |
Heating and cooling a home in Central
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Central’s climate
What is the coldest month in Central?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Central?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°.
How much snow does Central get?
About 97 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Central?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 29.
What is the rainiest month in Central?
May, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Central.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Central itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Buckstown 1 Se, PA (4 mi, snow) and Johnstown Cambria Co Airport, PA (14 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.