New Castle, PA climate
New Castle has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in New Castle feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
New Castle 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 19° | 3.7" | 12.3" | 13 | 18 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 2.9" | 12.7" | 11 | 16 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 4.0" | 9.2" | 11 | 10 | 29° – 45° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 4.3" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.4" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 5.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 5.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.7" | 2.2" | 10 | 2 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 4.1" | 9.0" | 12 | 11 | 24° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 51.0" | 48.0" | 140 | 59 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in New Castle
New Castle gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 59 days of the year.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 175 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 54% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in New Castle
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In New Castle, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
New Castle and its neighbors
New Castle borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.5°. Cass has the coldest January nights (18°) and Norwegian the hottest July afternoons (84°). New Castle’s January low is 19° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How New Castle compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in New Castle averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°). The shift is larger than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at New Castle’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 16° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about New Castle’s climate
What is the coldest month in New Castle?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in New Castle?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does New Castle get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in New Castle?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in New Castle?
July, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for New Castle itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA (8 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.