The cooler climate also means the park is home to animals and plants typically found much further north. The Allegheny Plateau has a continental climate, with occasional severe low temperatures in winter and average daily temperature ranges of 20°F (11°C) in winter and 26°F (14°C) in summer. In 1972, long-term average monthly temperatures ranged from a high of in July to a low of in January. The mean annual precipitation for the Black Moshannon Creek watershed is 40 to 42inches (1016 to 1067mm). The soil in the park is mostly derived from sandstone and as such does not have much capacity to neutralize acid rain. The highest recorded temperature at the park was in 1988, and the record low was in 1994.