Lancaster climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Lancaster?

Lancaster has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 12.1 °C and it receives 1,067 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Lancaster?

The hottest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 22 July 2011, reaching 38.8 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Lancaster?

The coldest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 22 January 1984, at -25.6 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Lancaster?

Yes. Lancaster gets on average 61.0 cm of snow per year and has around 85 frost days.

Q: Has the climate of Lancaster warmed?

Yes: Lancaster warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Lancaster?

The wettest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 8 October 2005, with 138 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Lancaster?

The windiest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 15 October 1954, with winds reaching 51.6 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Lancaster?

The warmest month in Lancaster is July (24.3 °C on average); the coldest is January (-0.4 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Lancaster?

Lancaster receives on average 1,067 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 118 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Lancaster?

Lancaster gets on average 8.9 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,249 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Lancaster (United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 12.1 °C and it receives 1,067 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is July (24.3 °C on average) and the coldest is January (-0.4 °C). Rainfall peaks in July.

Lancaster averages 85 frost days, 34 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 118 rainy days per year.

Lancaster has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The number of frost days there went from about 95 to 75 per year over the period.

The hottest day of the period reached 38.8 °C (on 22 July 2011) and the coldest -25.6 °C (on 22 January 1984).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

LancasterPennsylvania

coords: 40.04°, -76.31°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

DfaHot-summer humid continentalWarmest monthJulyColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthJulyDriest monthFebruary

Mean daily temperature

12.1°C

Average daily high

16.8°C

Average daily low

7.9°C

Annual rainfall

1,067mm

Sunshine / day

8.9h

Mean relative humidity

67%

Average peak wind

16.8km/h

Seasonal range

24.7°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

85 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

34 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

118 d/yr

Annual snowfall

61.0 cm

Average feels-like high

15.3 °C

Average feels-like low

5.5 °C

Average peak gust

37.7 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

43 d/yr

Solar radiation

14.8 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.8 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.42 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

38.8 °C

22 July 2011

Coldest day

-25.6 °C

22 January 1984

Wettest day

138 mm

8 October 2005

Windiest day

51.6 km/h

15 October 1954

Strongest gust

127.8 km/h

25 November 1950

Hottest feels-like

44.4 °C

15 July 1995

Coldest feels-like

-31.2 °C

22 January 1984

Snowiest day

38.0 cm

20 March 1958

Sunniest day

14.2 h

4 July 2025

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	36.2 °C24 June 2025	-14.7 °C22 January 2025	12.8 °C	970 mm	35	89
2024	37.2 °C16 July 2024	-13.2 °C23 December 2024	13.8 °C	1,048 mm	41	59
2023	35.1 °C2 June 2023	-11.1 °C4 February 2023	14.0 °C	1,047 mm	33	47
2022	34.5 °C24 July 2022	-15.1 °C24 December 2022	13.1 °C	1,151 mm	47	92
2021	35.2 °C30 June 2021	-10.0 °C8 February 2021	13.6 °C	1,099 mm	47	67
2020	35.7 °C20 July 2020	-11.2 °C19 December 2020	13.8 °C	1,122 mm	47	54
2019	36.0 °C21 July 2019	-16.4 °C31 January 2019	13.3 °C	1,208 mm	50	81
2018	35.6 °C2 July 2018	-15.5 °C7 January 2018	13.1 °C	1,659 mm	47	80
2017	34.9 °C13 June 2017	-11.5 °C28 December 2017	13.5 °C	1,013 mm	35	61
2016	34.8 °C23 July 2016	-14.2 °C14 February 2016	13.4 °C	966 mm	53	72
2015	33.8 °C19 July 2015	-18.0 °C20 February 2015	12.9 °C	986 mm	32	84
2014	33.2 °C18 June 2014	-20.0 °C4 January 2014	11.6 °C	982 mm	19	93
2013	35.2 °C19 July 2013	-12.4 °C23 January 2013	12.4 °C	959 mm	29	91
2012	38.5 °C18 July 2012	-11.5 °C4 January 2012	14.0 °C	896 mm	48	64
2011	38.8 °C22 July 2011	-13.5 °C24 January 2011	13.3 °C	1,423 mm	39	83
2010	37.8 °C7 July 2010	-10.8 °C7 February 2010	13.3 °C	985 mm	64	84
2009	34.4 °C10 August 2009	-15.1 °C17 January 2009	12.1 °C	1,134 mm	15	84
2008	35.7 °C10 June 2008	-12.7 °C11 February 2008	12.5 °C	1,216 mm	26	82
2007	35.8 °C8 August 2007	-14.2 °C5 February 2007	12.9 °C	935 mm	49	85
2006	35.7 °C1 August 2006	-11.5 °C19 February 2006	13.4 °C	1,029 mm	39	64
2005	35.4 °C27 July 2005	-17.3 °C28 January 2005	12.7 °C	1,003 mm	48	82
2004	33.1 °C9 June 2004	-19.3 °C25 January 2004	12.3 °C	1,194 mm	19	86
2003	34.2 °C22 August 2003	-19.9 °C18 January 2003	11.6 °C	1,339 mm	21	92
2002	36.5 °C2 August 2002	-10.2 °C9 December 2002	13.0 °C	993 mm	51	76
2001	37.1 °C9 August 2001	-18.5 °C23 January 2001	12.9 °C	799 mm	27	80
2000	33.4 °C10 July 2000	-15.2 °C29 December 2000	11.8 °C	995 mm	17	88
1999	36.5 °C6 July 1999	-11.7 °C6 January 1999	12.9 °C	1,017 mm	41	72
1998	34.0 °C26 June 1998	-15.2 °C1 January 1998	13.6 °C	988 mm	34	53
1997	36.1 °C15 July 1997	-16.7 °C19 January 1997	12.0 °C	888 mm	33	73
1996	34.7 °C20 May 1996	-19.9 °C5 February 1996	11.4 °C	1,518 mm	10	85
1995	37.7 °C15 July 1995	-15.9 °C6 February 1995	12.3 °C	1,056 mm	41	94
1994	36.7 °C15 June 1994	-23.7 °C19 January 1994	12.3 °C	1,099 mm	48	87
1993	35.3 °C28 August 1993	-16.7 °C19 March 1993	12.2 °C	1,190 mm	50	80
1992	35.5 °C14 July 1992	-12.7 °C19 January 1992	11.6 °C	960 mm	17	85
1991	36.4 °C23 July 1991	-12.4 °C22 January 1991	13.4 °C	929 mm	64	78
1990	36.7 °C4 July 1990	-12.7 °C26 February 1990	13.3 °C	1,138 mm	28	66
1989	34.2 °C27 June 1989	-15.3 °C22 December 1989	11.7 °C	1,301 mm	28	97
1988	37.5 °C7 July 1988	-15.7 °C28 January 1988	11.8 °C	896 mm	53	94
1987	36.0 °C21 July 1987	-18.4 °C28 January 1987	12.2 °C	1,079 mm	39	86
1986	35.0 °C7 July 1986	-14.2 °C28 January 1986	12.1 °C	1,059 mm	30	87
1985	34.5 °C14 August 1985	-23.5 °C21 January 1985	12.1 °C	941 mm	15	90
1984	34.5 °C9 June 1984	-25.6 °C22 January 1984	11.9 °C	1,198 mm	27	82
1983	36.1 °C20 August 1983	-19.4 °C25 December 1983	12.1 °C	1,298 mm	54	76
1982	33.8 °C19 July 1982	-22.0 °C17 January 1982	11.6 °C	1,041 mm	15	90
1981	34.1 °C16 June 1981	-18.1 °C12 January 1981	11.5 °C	880 mm	19	88
1980	37.0 °C21 July 1980	-17.0 °C25 December 1980	11.9 °C	830 mm	56	96
1979	34.9 °C10 August 1979	-23.8 °C18 February 1979	11.9 °C	1,185 mm	27	80
1978	35.0 °C23 July 1978	-17.7 °C20 February 1978	11.1 °C	1,200 mm	27	95
1977	35.2 °C16 July 1977	-20.3 °C17 January 1977	11.9 °C	1,093 mm	37	91
1976	32.8 °C28 June 1976	-15.1 °C23 January 1976	11.5 °C	1,028 mm	24	97
1975	34.8 °C2 August 1975	-14.4 °C21 January 1975	12.4 °C	1,281 mm	25	84
1974	34.4 °C9 July 1974	-14.1 °C14 January 1974	12.2 °C	1,044 mm	23	87
1973	35.9 °C28 August 1973	-15.5 °C17 February 1973	12.6 °C	1,216 mm	32	72
1972	34.9 °C23 July 1972	-16.2 °C16 January 1972	11.5 °C	1,319 mm	27	87
1971	34.2 °C8 July 1971	-19.8 °C1 February 1971	12.1 °C	1,119 mm	29	81
1970	33.2 °C22 September 1970	-17.3 °C9 January 1970	11.8 °C	966 mm	38	96
1969	35.3 °C28 June 1969	-15.9 °C25 December 1969	11.6 °C	1,079 mm	21	110
1968	35.7 °C1 July 1968	-21.0 °C2 January 1968	11.7 °C	876 mm	36	94
1967	33.2 °C16 June 1967	-19.0 °C13 February 1967	11.1 °C	1,010 mm	21	95
1966	38.2 °C3 July 1966	-17.0 °C29 January 1966	11.3 °C	991 mm	44	94
1965	33.4 °C23 June 1965	-18.0 °C15 January 1965	11.4 °C	718 mm	34	95
1964	36.3 °C30 June 1964	-17.1 °C15 January 1964	11.8 °C	890 mm	41	92
1963	34.8 °C27 June 1963	-22.6 °C29 January 1963	11.0 °C	882 mm	27	99
1962	34.5 °C20 August 1962	-20.8 °C11 February 1962	11.0 °C	1,003 mm	24	108
1961	33.6 °C2 July 1961	-21.3 °C2 February 1961	11.5 °C	1,091 mm	34	90
1960	32.5 °C3 August 1960	-19.7 °C23 December 1960	11.3 °C	1,067 mm	19	109
1959	36.4 °C29 June 1959	-15.5 °C23 December 1959	12.6 °C	988 mm	53	95
1958	32.9 °C2 July 1958	-17.2 °C11 February 1958	11.0 °C	1,134 mm	29	88
1957	36.5 °C21 July 1957	-19.1 °C15 January 1957	12.3 °C	919 mm	36	78
1956	34.6 °C13 June 1956	-10.0 °C28 January 1956	11.7 °C	1,205 mm	25	81
1955	37.6 °C22 July 1955	-18.5 °C3 February 1955	12.3 °C	948 mm	41	96
1954	37.9 °C31 July 1954	-18.7 °C18 January 1954	12.3 °C	894 mm	32	83
1953	38.2 °C2 September 1953	-9.5 °C18 December 1953	13.0 °C	1,029 mm	47	71
1952	37.7 °C26 June 1952	-14.1 °C30 January 1952	12.3 °C	1,334 mm	41	75
1951	33.8 °C27 July 1951	-17.9 °C17 December 1951	12.0 °C	1,105 mm	31	81
1950	33.4 °C26 June 1950	-17.1 °C27 December 1950	11.6 °C	1,088 mm	23	96
1949	36.0 °C5 July 1949	-10.1 °C20 March 1949	13.1 °C	912 mm	40	67
1948	36.5 °C28 August 1948	-19.4 °C31 January 1948	11.5 °C	1,137 mm	26	87
1947	33.3 °C14 August 1947	-14.7 °C5 February 1947	11.6 °C	1,033 mm	19	99
1946	32.3 °C19 July 1946	-15.4 °C23 January 1946	12.4 °C	1,031 mm	18	72
1945	34.5 °C1 July 1945	-19.4 °C10 January 1945	11.5 °C	1,321 mm	18	89
1944	34.3 °C5 August 1944	-14.1 °C22 December 1944	11.7 °C	1,096 mm	40	100
1943	33.6 °C25 June 1943	-19.7 °C16 February 1943	11.2 °C	897 mm	42	104
1942	34.3 °C19 July 1942	-18.4 °C11 January 1942	11.6 °C	1,245 mm	22	94
1941	35.3 °C2 July 1941	-15.1 °C10 February 1941	11.7 °C	839 mm	28	102
1940	34.5 °C26 July 1940	-16.6 °C20 January 1940	10.6 °C	1,118 mm	15	103

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

17.2 °C

+0.4 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

35 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

89 d/yr

Annual rainfall

970 mm

-97 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	1.8 °C	-1.5 °C	31 mm	-48 mm
Feb	5.3 °C	+0.3 °C	64 mm	-11 mm
Mar	14.9 °C	+4.8 °C	71 mm	-23 mm
Apr	18.1 °C	+1.5 °C	78 mm	-16 mm
May	21.7 °C	-0.5 °C	176 mm	+79 mm
Jun	27.9 °C	+1.0 °C	90 mm	-1 mm
Jul	30.4 °C	+1.2 °C	182 mm	+80 mm
Aug	26.6 °C	-1.5 °C	21 mm	-70 mm
Sep	25.5 °C	+1.1 °C	90 mm	-3 mm
Oct	18.4 °C	+0.2 °C	66 mm	-15 mm
Nov	11.8 °C	+0.2 °C	43 mm	-42 mm
Dec	3.8 °C	-1.8 °C	59 mm	-28 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

36.2 °C

24 Jun 2025

Coldest day

-14.7 °C

22 Jan 2025

Wettest day

39.1 mm

14 Jul 2025

Windiest day

35.0 km/h

11 Nov 2025

Strongest gust

85.0 km/h

16 Mar 2025

Hottest feels-like

41.4 °C

23 Jun 2025

Coldest feels-like

-19.5 °C

22 Jan 2025

Snowiest day

7.1 cm

14 Dec 2025

Sunniest day

14.2 h

4 Jul 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Lancaster?

Lancaster has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 12.1 °C and it receives 1,067 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Lancaster?

The hottest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 22 July 2011, reaching 38.8 °C.

What is the coldest day in Lancaster?

The coldest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 22 January 1984, at -25.6 °C.

Does it snow in Lancaster?

Yes. Lancaster gets on average 61.0 cm of snow per year and has around 85 frost days.

Has the climate of Lancaster warmed?

Yes: Lancaster warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Lancaster?

The wettest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 8 October 2005, with 138 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Lancaster?

The windiest day measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 15 October 1954, with winds reaching 51.6 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Lancaster?

The warmest month in Lancaster is July (24.3 °C on average); the coldest is January (-0.4 °C).

How much does it rain in Lancaster?

Lancaster receives on average 1,067 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 118 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Lancaster?

Lancaster gets on average 8.9 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,249 hours per year over 1940-2025.

What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Lancaster?

The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Lancaster between 1940 and 2025 was 20 March 1958, with 38.0 cm.

Are there tropical nights in Lancaster?

Yes: Lancaster has on average 43 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Lancaster?

In Lancaster, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 44.4 °C on 15 July 1995, and the lowest was -31.2 °C on 22 January 1984.

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