While the valley itself is oriented in a general NNW-SSE direction, the river flows nearly due south in the vicinity of Towanda with the community situated along the west bank of the river at an elevation in the neighborhood of 800 feet above sea level. The surrounding terrain rises sharply to elevations of 1100 to 1400 feet. Since the area is characterized by glaciated hills dissected by rather deep and relatively narrow valleys, the topographic variations have a significant effect on climatic conditions throughout the area. For this reason the climatic data for Towanda are somewhat more representative of conditions in valleys than those found on the higher plateau areas. Towanda, as well as the entire county, has a humid continental type of climate.
Summers are warm, winters quite long and cold with extended periods of cloudiness.
Adequate and dependable precipitation is normally distributed throughout the year although late spring and summer rainfall is usually several inches greater than that received during the cold season. Being in or near the paths of most major weather systems moving eastward across the United States, Towanda is sugjected to a variety of conditions. Changes in temperature, humidity, wind and other weather elements are frequent especially during winter and early spring when such systems are numerous and move most rapidly. Towanda lies in one of the colder regions of Pennsylvania where temperatures average several degrees lower than those in the southeastern part of the state. More representative temperatures, however, are shown on the local climatological data page.