Reading, Pennsylvania Weather
Apples hang heavy on the branch. Day 93 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Reading weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
Conditions updated 10:23 AM EDT · Open-Meteo
- TodaySep 21Light Drizzle later19%0.02″70°62°—
- TuesdaySep 22Rain58%0.27″63°56°-7°
- WednesdaySep 23Overcast19%—66°50°+3°
- ThursdaySep 24Overcast——66°45°0°
- FridaySep 25Clear32%—71°46°+5°
- SaturdaySep 26Clear29%—72°49°+1°
- SundaySep 27Overcast15%—76°52°+4°
Air quality now AQI 26 · Good
AQI 26 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points).
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 8 PM.
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
September dries up ditches or breaks down bridges.
- Moonrise
- 4:37 PM
- Moonset
- 1:21 AM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Apples hang heavy on the branch
Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
All 72 microseasons on the year wheel →
Reading at a glance
- Today vs. normal: Today averages 66°F (high 70°F, low 62°F), about the 66°F normal for Sep 21
- Last frost: April 14 (1991–2020 median, NOAA station 5 km away)
- Microseason: Sep 21–25
- Planting calendar: September — plant garlic (overwinter); harvest tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, winter squash
16-Day Forecast — Reading
- Mon70°62°19%
- Tue63°56°58%
- Wed66°50°19%
- Thu66°45°4%
- Fri71°46°32%
- Sat72°49°29%
- Sun76°52°15%
- Mon77°56°10%
- Tue77°58°10%
- Wed76°58°16%
- Thu77°61°17%
- Fri73°56°14%
- Sat74°54°23%
- Sun73°58°25%
- Mon71°53°29%
- Tue60°45°19%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Live wind & temperature near Reading
Interactive wind and temperature map centered on Reading — it loads in your browser. Open the full weather map.
Right now in the garden
Fall planting + final harvests
As of September 21, the season's first frost (typically October 29) is approaching. Pick what frost-tender plants still carry before the next cold front. This city's planting calendar for September: plant garlic (overwinter); harvest tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, and winter squash.
Sun & seasons in Reading
Reading sits in Berks County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 3m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 17m — a swing of +5h 46m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, lies about 48 miles to the ESE. The nearest town Reading tracks is Lancaster, roughly 29 miles to the SW.
Air quality in Reading
Air quality in Reading’s county has held roughly steady since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2024 (median AQI 43). See the full air-quality history for Reading.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| March | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | radishes |
| May | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, spinach |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, beans, summer squash, garlic |
| August | beans, squash, fall brassicas, carrots | tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, winter squash |
| September | garlic (overwinter) | tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, winter squash |
| October | garlic (overwinter) | tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, winter squash, fall brassicas, carrots |
| November | — | fall brassicas, carrots |
A year in weather
The year in Reading tops out in July (~76°F) and dips lowest in January (~29°F), with May wettest at 4.0 inches and February driest at 2.8 inches.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip |
|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 3.2″ |
| February | 32° | 2.8″ |
| March | 40° | 3.5″ |
| April | 52° | 3.8″ |
| May | 61° | 4.0″ |
| June | 70° | 3.9″ |
| July | 76° | 3.3″ |
| August | 75° | 3.8″ |
| September | 68° | 3.6″ |
| October | 57° | 3.0″ |
| November | 43° | 3.6″ |
| December | 34° | 4.0″ |
Regional context
Similar climates West Reading, PA, Mount Penn, PA, Greenfields, PA
In Reading, modelled 1991-2020 normals (EC_Earth3P_HR model via Open-Meteo) put January near 29°F and July near 76°F — a 47°F seasonal arc — with about 42.6 inches of precipitation.
Rainfall in Reading splits evenly between the seasons: May tops out at 4.0 inches, and February logs 2.8 inches — neither half of Reading's year dominates. That even rhythm groups Reading with places like West Reading, PA, Mount Penn, PA and Greenfields, PA.
Around April 14, Reading sheds its freezing nights — kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips go into Reading's beds. Reading's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Reading's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. Frost returns to Reading near October 29, ending the tender-crop season. Open lawns in Reading whiten first when frost returns.
Similar climates: West Reading, PA, Mount Penn, PA, Greenfields, PA, Wyomissing, PA, Hyde Park, PA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Reading?
- In Reading, expect the last spring frost near April 14; Reading's first autumn frost comes around October 29.
- What is the rainy season in Reading?
- Rainfall in Reading peaks in May near 4.0 inches, out of about 43 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Reading?
- Reading peaks in July, when the mean runs near 76°F.
- What is the coldest month in Reading?
- January is Reading's coldest month, averaging about 29°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Reading?
- In Reading, sow peas and hardy greens around April 14; Reading's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
- What hardiness zone is Reading?
- Since January in Reading averages 29°F, Reading's USDA zone follows that floor — confirm it by ZIP.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Reading?
- Reading's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Reading?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Reading in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Reading?
- Current conditions for Reading and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Reading forecast updated?
- The Reading forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Reading?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Reading are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Reading?
- The next few days in Reading's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Reading sits at 40.3°N; its climate zone is warm-summer humid continental (Köppen approximation).
ZIP codes in Reading
- 19601
- 19602
- 19603
- 19604
- 19605
- 19606
- 19607
- 19608
- 19609
- 19610
- 19611
- 19612