Cost to Own
United StatesPennsylvaniaLancaster CountyClimate Station LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US Distance 1.4 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Lancaster County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

87.0°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 22.2°F.

Lancaster County gets 44.15" of precipitation a year and 21.4" of snow, and 29% of it falls in Jul, Aug, Sep.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 39.9° 22.2° 3.01" 6.1"
February 42.8° 23.6° 2.52" 7.4"
March 52.0° 30.9° 3.50" 3.4"
April 64.6° 40.5° 3.54" 0.2"
May 74.5° 50.4° 3.65" 0.0"
June 82.7° 59.7° 4.09" 0.0"
July 87.0° 64.7° 4.51" 0.0"
August 85.1° 63.0° 3.60" 0.0"
September 78.2° 55.6° 4.82" 0.0"
October 66.4° 43.7° 4.18" 0.3"
November 54.8° 34.0° 3.26" 0.6"
December 44.4° 27.1° 3.47" 3.4"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 29% falling in the wettest three months (Jul, Aug, Sep).

January 3.01"
February 2.52"
March 3.50"
April 3.54"
May 3.65"
June 4.09"
July 4.51"
August 3.60"
September 4.82"
October 4.18"
November 3.26"
December 3.47"
Annual total 44.15"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 1,030
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 5,129
Approximate annual cooling cost At 21.55¢/kWh, Pennsylvania average $222
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $387

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Lancaster County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Lancaster County?

Lancaster County averages a high of 87.0°F in July and a low of 22.2°F in January. Annual precipitation is 44.15 inches, including 21.4 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Lancaster County?

The wettest stretch is Jul, Aug, Sep, which accounts for 29% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Lancaster County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 87.0°F. That drives 1,030 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Lancaster County?

Yes. Lancaster County averages 21.4 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US (USC00364763), 1.4 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Pennsylvania residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.