Best time to visit Philadelphia
The best time to visit Philadelphia is April–May and September–October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.1 °C / 41 °F | -2.4 °C / 28 °F | 76 mm / 3 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 6.8 °C / 44 °F | -1.6 °C / 29 °F | 83 mm / 3.3 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 11.9 °C / 53 °F | 2.4 °C / 36 °F | 97 mm / 3.8 in | good month |
| April | 18 °C / 64 °F | 7.9 °C / 46 °F | 98 mm / 3.9 in | best month |
| May | 23.3 °C / 74 °F | 13.3 °C / 56 °F | 92 mm / 3.6 in | best month |
| June | 28.1 °C / 83 °F | 18.3 °C / 65 °F | 104 mm / 4.1 in | good month |
| July | 30.7 °C / 87 °F | 21.5 °C / 71 °F | 110 mm / 4.3 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 29.2 °C / 85 °F | 20.2 °C / 68 °F | 97 mm / 3.8 in | good month |
| September | 25.7 °C / 78 °F | 16.5 °C / 62 °F | 96 mm / 3.8 in | best month |
| October | 19.6 °C / 67 °F | 10.3 °C / 51 °F | 99 mm / 3.9 in | best month |
| November | 13 °C / 55 °F | 4 °C / 39 °F | 73 mm / 2.9 in | good month |
| December | 7.8 °C / 46 °F | 0.3 °C / 33 °F | 106 mm / 4.2 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: good
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May, September–October
- Good
- March, June, August, November
Spring (April-May) and fall (September-October) give Philadelphia its best walking weather: mild, reasonably dry and bright. Midsummer turns hot, humid and rainy, pulling July down to neither and June/August to good, while the cold, short, grey days of December-February rule out that stretch entirely; March and November sit in between as cool but workable.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, precipitation 97 mm / 3.8 in, relative humidity 57%.
Against: feels like (high) 8.2 °C / 47 °F, average daily high 11.9 °C / 53 °F, wet days 9.9 days, days with heavy rain 3 days, average daily low 2.4 °C / 36 °F.
Also on: Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philly Craft Beer Festival, Women's History Month events.
Watch out for: Good Friday and Easter possible business closures.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.4 °C / 60 °F, average daily high 18 °C / 64 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, precipitation 98 mm / 3.9 in, relative humidity 57%, average daily low 7.9 °C / 46 °F.
Against: wet days 10.1 days, days with heavy rain 3 days.
Also on: Cherry blossoms, Penn Relays, Philadelphia Black Pride, Philadelphia Science Festival, Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival.
Watch out for: Good Friday and Easter possible business closures.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.8 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 23.3 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, precipitation 92 mm / 3.6 in, average daily low 13.3 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 63%.
Against: wet days 10.9 days, days with heavy rain 3 days.
Also on: Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Arts Festival, Memorial Day Weekend parties and fireworks, South 9th Street Italian Market Festival.
Watch out for: Memorial Day business closures.
June · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 76%, precipitation 104 mm / 4.1 in, average daily low 18.3 °C / 65 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 29.3 °C / 85 °F, wet days 11.2 days, days with heavy rain 3.9 days, average daily high 28.1 °C / 83 °F, relative humidity 64%.
Also on: Juneteenth events, Mann Music Center summer concerts (Philadelphia Orchestra), Odunde Festival, Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, Philly Beer Week, Philly Pride, Roots Picnic, Spruce Street Harbor Park summer fairground, Welcome America Philadelphia (Fourth of July festival).
Watch out for: Juneteenth office/business closures.
August · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 97 mm / 3.8 in, average daily low 20.2 °C / 68 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 31.2 °C / 88 °F, average daily high 29.2 °C / 85 °F, wet days 10.4 days, days with heavy rain 3 days, relative humidity 67%.
Also on: Black Star Film Festival, Citadel County Spirit USA, Mann Music Center summer concerts (Philadelphia Orchestra), Philadelphia Folk Festival, Spruce Street Harbor Park summer fairground.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.4 °C / 80 °F, average daily high 25.7 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, precipitation 96 mm / 3.8 in, wet days 9 days, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 16.5 °C / 62 °F, relative humidity 69%.
Also on: Fringe Festival, Made in America Music Festival.
Watch out for: Labor Day business closures.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.9 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19.6 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, precipitation 99 mm / 3.9 in, wet days 8.6 days, average daily low 10.3 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 68%.
Against: days with heavy rain 3.1 days.
Also on: AIDS Walk Philly, Audi Feastival, Halloween events (Boo at the Zoo, Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights), Philadelphia Film Festival, Revolutionary Germantown Festival.
Watch out for: Columbus Day business closures, Halloween possible business closures.
November · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 72%, precipitation 73 mm / 2.9 in, wet days 7.9 days, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, relative humidity 64%, average daily low 4 °C / 39 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 9.8 °C / 50 °F, average daily high 13 °C / 55 °F, sunshine per day 7.1 h.
Also on: Philadelphia Marathon, Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Watch out for: Holiday season travel rush (Thanksgiving to New Year's), Thanksgiving travel crowds, Veterans Day closures.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Blue Mountain Resort, 100 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 0.8 °C | 2.5 °C | 8.2 °C | 15.4 °C | 22.8 °C | 29.3 °C | 33.4 °C | 31.2 °C | 26.4 °C | 17.9 °C | 9.8 °C | 4.1 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.3 days | 2.9 days | 3 days | 3 days | 3 days | 3.9 days | 4.2 days | 3 days | 2.9 days | 3.1 days | 2.8 days | 3.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 1 am | 1 pm | 6 pm | 2 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 3 pm | 9 pm | 9 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 6.6 h | 7.4 h | 8.4 h | 9.4 h | 10.3 h | 11.4 h | 12 h | 10.7 h | 9.1 h | 7.8 h | 7.1 h | 6 h |
| Relative humidity | 62% | 60% | 57% | 57% | 63% | 64% | 66% | 67% | 69% | 68% | 64% | 67% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 12.4 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ | 12.6 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 16.6 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ | 10.5 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 24.8 µg/m³ | 26.6 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | 18.8 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | 28.6 µg/m³ | 26.9 µg/m³ | 23.1 µg/m³ | 18.4 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 21.3 µg/m³ | 24.3 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Dilworth Park winter ice-skating and Wintergarden
January, February and December
- Mummers Parade
1 January
- Chinese New Year
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- Philadelphia Auto Show
January
- Black History Month events
February
- Sisterhood Sit-In Rebel Rides (Black-owned business tours)
February
- Philly Home and Garden Show
February
- Philadelphia Flower Show
March
- Philly Craft Beer Festival
March
- Women's History Month events
March
- Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon
March
- Cherry blossoms
April
- Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
April
- Penn Relays
April
- Philadelphia Black Pride
April
- Philadelphia Science Festival
April
- Memorial Day Weekend parties and fireworks
May
- South 9th Street Italian Market Festival
May
- Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Arts Festival
May
- Odunde Festival
June
- Roots Picnic
June
- Philly Pride
June
- Philly Beer Week
June
- Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts
June
- Juneteenth events
19 June
- Welcome America Philadelphia (Fourth of July festival)
15 June–4 July
- Mann Music Center summer concerts (Philadelphia Orchestra)
June, July and August
- Spruce Street Harbor Park summer fairground
June, July and August
- All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival
1–7 July
- Bastille Day recreation at Eastern State Penitentiary
July
- Black Star Film Festival
August
- Philadelphia Folk Festival
August
- Citadel County Spirit USA
August
- Made in America Music Festival
September
- Fringe Festival
September
- Halloween events (Boo at the Zoo, Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights)
October
- Revolutionary Germantown Festival
October
- Philadelphia Film Festival
October
- Audi Feastival
October
- AIDS Walk Philly
October
- Philadelphia Marathon
15–21 November
- Thanksgiving Day Parade
November
- Christmas Village at Love Park / Winter in Franklin Square
December
- Army-Navy Game
December
- Winter holiday events (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa)
December
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day business closures
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures
January
- Holiday season travel rush (Thanksgiving to New Year's)
January, November and December
- Presidents' Day closures
February
- Good Friday and Easter possible business closures
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day business closures
May
- Juneteenth office/business closures
19 June
- Independence Day crowds
4 July
- Independence Day business closures
4 July
- Labor Day business closures
September
- Columbus Day business closures
October
- Halloween possible business closures
31 October
- Thanksgiving travel crowds
November
- Veterans Day closures
11 November
- Christmas business closures
24–25 December
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Independence Hall
1 km away