Wilkes-Barre climate
Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 1,214 mm48 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Wilkes-Barre climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 134 | −720 | −327 | 742.9 | 29 |
| Feb | 236 | −620 | −228 | 712.8 | 27 |
| Mar | 846 | −228 | 337 | 863.4 | 24 |
| Apr | 1560 | 338 | 949 | 963.8 | 10 |
| May | 2171 | 1050 | 1660 | 1064.2 | 1 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1559 | 2169 | 1234.8 | 0 |
| Jul | 2984 | 1864 | 2374 | 1204.7 | 0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1763 | 2373 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2577 | 1355 | 1966 | 1224.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 744 | 1254 | 1164.5 | 3 |
| Nov | 1050 | 134 | 642 | 843.3 | 16 |
| Dec | 439 | −326 | 032 | 983.9 | 27 |
| Year | 2984 | −720 | 1151 | 1,21448 | 137 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89% | 73% | 1.6 | 9:30 |
| Feb | 88% | 71% | 2.5 | 10:34 |
| Mar | 83% | 69% | 3.5 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 79% | 66% | 4.5 | 13:16 |
| May | 79% | 67% | 5.2 | 14:29 |
| Jun | 79% | 62% | 5.7 | 15:08 |
| Jul | 75% | 56% | 5.8 | 14:52 |
| Aug | 74% | 57% | 5.1 | 13:49 |
| Sep | 74% | 56% | 4.1 | 12:24 |
| Oct | 79% | 64% | 2.7 | 11:01 |
| Nov | 83% | 68% | 1.9 | 9:48 |
| Dec | 88% | 76% | 1.3 | 9:13 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Wilkes-Barre is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 29 °C84 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 1 °C34 °F and lows −7 °C20 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26.4 °C47.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,214 mm48 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is June (123 mm4.8 in), the driest is February (71 mm2.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 74% in September to 89% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 56%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 0 km/h (0 mph) in May to 3 km/h (2 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in February, about 16 cm).
Best time to visit Wilkes-Barre
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and August and September: average highs of 21 °C71 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 106 mm4.2 in to 122 mm4.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 1 °C34 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Wilkes-Barre
- Winter (December–February) — highs 134 to 4 °C39 °F, lows −720 to −3 °C26 °F, about 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 846 to 21 °C71 °F, lows −228 to 10 °C50 °F, about 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2679 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1559 to 18 °C64 °F, about 121 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1050 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 134 to 13 °C55 °F, about 107 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Wilkes-Barre compares
Compared with Allentown, about 78 km to the southeast, Wilkes-Barre is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in July (0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Wilkes-Barre is the 184th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 59th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Morioka (Japan, Dfa), Yamagata (Japan, Dfa) and Oshu (Japan, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Allentown 78 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,233 mm49 in
- Paterson 148 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,240 mm49 in
- Philadelphia 156 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,226 mm48 in
- Staten Island 165 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,226 mm48 in
- New York City 168 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,312 mm52 in
- Manhattan 169 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,236 mm49 in
- Brooklyn 175 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,312 mm52 in
- Stamford 197 km · 11 °C53 °F · 1,236 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Wilkes-Barre?
July is the warmest month in Wilkes-Barre, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Wilkes-Barre?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 1 °C (34 °F) and an average low of -7 °C (20 °F).
When does it rain the most in Wilkes-Barre?
June is the wettest month with about 123 mm (4.8 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 71 mm (2.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Wilkes-Barre?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and August and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 359 m, while Wilkes-Barre lies at about 163 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.3 °C2.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.