Altoona, PA Climate


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Altoona, PA has a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Average summer temperatures range from the mid-70sF (low 20sC) in July to the low 50sF (low 10sC) in August. Winter temperatures range from the mid-20sF (- low 5sC) in January to around 40F (4.5C) in March. The area receives an average of 36 inches of precipitation annually, mainly from April through September. Snowfall can vary greatly from year to year, but typically ranges between 20 and 30 inches each season. Altoona experiences all four seasons, making it an ideal destination for outdoor recreation throughout the year.

Altoona, Pennsylvania gets 41 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Altoona averages 30 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 191 sunny days per year in Altoona. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Altoona gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 145 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 82 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 17
Rain: averages 41 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 30 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Altoona is 6.8 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in Pennsylvania.

9.1 Summer - 4.7 Winter
August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Altoona, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateAltoona, PennsylvaniaUnited States
  40.7 in.38.1 in.
  30.0 in.27.8 in.
  144.8 days106.2 days
  191 days205 days
  81.6°85.8°
  17.1°21.7°
  6.87
  3.64.3
  1161 ft.2443 ft.
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Altoona with an average high temperature of 81.6°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Pennsylvania. In Altoona, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Altoona are June, August and July.
In Altoona, there are 4.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Pennsylvania.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Altoona with an average of 17.1°. This is colder than most places in Pennsylvania.
In Altoona, there are 138.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Pennsylvania.
In Altoona, there are 3.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Pennsylvania.
Humidity in Altoona is generally low and comfortable. But there some days when the humidity becomes unpleasant, especially in July and August. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are July, August and June.
May is the wettest month in Altoona with 4.0 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 28% of yearly precipitation and 19% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 40.7 inches in Altoona means that it is drier than most places in Pennsylvania.
May is the rainiest month in Altoona with 13.9 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 10.5 rainy days. There are 144.8 rainy days annually in Altoona, which is rainier than most places in Pennsylvania. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 24% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 30.0 inches in Altoona means that it is about average compared to other places in Pennsylvania. January is the snowiest month in Altoona with 9.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Reviews for Altoona
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Sun rises and sets over 2000+ ft. mountains, which does seem to shorten your summer days. It gets hot and humid in the summer, with not a lot of wind or airflow,  More

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Over 4 years ago

Though the climate in Altoona is cold in the Winter, it does often get less snow than Western Pennsylvania because of the Allegheny Front mountain range just to the west  More

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I grew up in Hollidaysburg near Altoona. The city has had its ups and downs throughout the years but all in all I think that central PA has the most beautiful scenery  More

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