Best Time to Drive: Pittsburgh, PA to Scranton, PA

The best overall window to drive from Pittsburgh, PA to Scranton, PA is August. May is especially comfortable, and 9 AM to 12 PM is usually the easiest departure window. The main things to watch are winter mix risk.

Best overall window

August

This stretch gives the steadiest mix of comfort, daylight, and lower weather friction.

Easiest departure pattern

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Most challenging stretch

January to March

November is one of the harder months for this route because the weather friction stacks up faster.

Why This Route Scores Differently

You can usually do this in one long day, which makes daylight and storm timing more important than hotel planning.

The current best window is August, when the drive is more likely to feel steady end to end.

This score uses multiple NOAA sample points along the route instead of a single state-wide climate average.

Month-by-Month Driving Conditions

Jan

Challenging 21°F

Feb

Challenging 22°F

Mar

Challenging 27°F

Apr

Fair 35°F

May

Good 42°F

Jun

Good 48°F

Jul

Good 51°F

Aug

Good 50°F

Sep

Good 45°F

Oct

Fair 37°F

Nov

Challenging 30°F

Dec

Difficult 24°F

Best Good/Fair Challenging

Average Conditions by Month

January

Avg high / low 26 / 15°F

Moisture 2.9 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

February

Avg high / low 28 / 16°F

Moisture 2.5 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

March

Avg high / low 33 / 21°F

Moisture 3.4 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

April

Avg high / low 42 / 28°F

Moisture 3.5 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

May

Avg high / low 49 / 35°F

Moisture 3.5 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

June

Avg high / low 54 / 41°F

Moisture 4 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

8 AM to 11 AM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

July

Avg high / low 57 / 44°F

Moisture 4 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

8 AM to 11 AM

Wet stretches Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

August

Avg high / low 56 / 43°F

Moisture 4 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

8 AM to 11 AM

Wet stretches

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

September

Avg high / low 51 / 38°F

Moisture 4.3 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

8 AM to 11 AM

Wet stretches

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

October

Avg high / low 43 / 31°F

Moisture 3.6 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

November

Avg high / low 36 / 24°F

Moisture 3 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

December

Avg high / low 29 / 19°F

Moisture 3.4 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

Seasonal Hazards on This Route

Winter mix risk

Jan - Dec

Even light snow or freezing precipitation can matter more than usual when this route turns into a same-day commitment.

Best Departure Time by Season

Spring

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Summer

8 AM to 11 AM

Mid-morning is usually the steadiest all-around departure window.

Fall

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Winter

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

How This Score Was Built

Source

Route-sampled NOAA climate normals

High confidence. Built from 3 NOAA-backed route checkpoints rather than a single statewide estimate.

Origin zone

Northeast

Destination zone

Northeast

Route sample points

Late route

Late route checkpoint

PA statewide fallback (0 mi away)

Late route

Late route checkpoint

PA TYRONE (5.2 mi away)

Destination

Scranton, PA

PA WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON INTL AP 72513 (6 mi away)

Ready to plan? See the full trip plan from Pittsburgh, PA to Scranton, PA with stops, fuel costs, and directions.

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