Penn Forest, PA climate
Penn Forest has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Penn Forest feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Penn Forest 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° | 16° | 4.0" | 7.8" | 11 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 18° | 3.0" | 9.8" | 9 | 14° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 4.2" | 6.3" | 10 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 11 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.3" | 0 | 14 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 5.3" | 0 | 13 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 58° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 5.5" | 0 | 10 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 5.0" | 0 | 11 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 10 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 4.5" | 2.7" | 11 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 53.8" | 27.3" | 132 |
“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 Penn Forest
Penn Forest gets 54 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 153 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 78% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Penn Forest
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Penn Forest, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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.
Penn Forest and its neighbors
Penn Forest borders 7 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.0°. Kidder has the coldest January nights (15°) and Franklin the hottest July afternoons (84°). Penn Forest’s January low is 16° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Penn Forest 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 Penn Forest averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Penn Forest’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 21° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Penn Forest’s climate
What is the coldest month in Penn Forest?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Penn Forest?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Penn Forest get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Penn Forest?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 7.
What is the rainiest month in Penn Forest?
September, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 54 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Penn Forest itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lehighton 1ssw, PA (10 mi, snow) and Francis E Walter Dam, PA (12 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.