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NY 417 east entering Addison townPhoto: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0
Climate in Addison · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Addison’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns#253 coldest of 875 in NY
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns#560Snowiest  of 854 in NY
All NY rankings →

A year in Addison at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan32°15° 13" snow
Feb35°16° 12" snow
Mar43°23° 10" snow
Apr57°32°
May69°43° Last frost ~May 17
Jun77°52° 1 day 90°+
Jul81°57° 2 days 90°+
Aug79°55° 1 day 90°+
Sep72°49° Wettest
Oct60°38° First frost ~Oct 2
Nov now47°30°
Dec36°22° 10" snow

What stands out about Addison’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Addison’s place in New York beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Addison feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
34° / 18°
21 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
56° / 33°
Last frost around May 17
Summer
79° / 55°
6 days reach 90°
Fall
60° / 39°
First frost around Oct 2
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 139 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Corning, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.

163
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
83rd most of 875 in New York
More freezing nights than 93% of U.S. towns
10
nights at or below 0°
267th most of 875 in New York
More nights at or below 0° than 85% of U.S. towns
6
days that reach 90°
289th fewest of 875 in New York
Fewer 90° days than 89% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Addison’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

2.4
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 48 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Addison, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.

37"
Rain + melted snow a year
128th driest of 875 in New York
Drier than 72% of U.S. towns
48"
Snow in a normal winter
560th snowiest of 854 in New York
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

13"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Addison

97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

7,682 heating degree daysMore heating than 94% of U.S. towns
268 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Corning, NY.

Living here

Living with Addison’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

139 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Addison from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Addison and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Addison in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Cameron: January low 15°, July high 81°Woodhull: January low 15°, July high 81°Corning: January low 15°, July high 81°Lindley: January low 15°, July high 82°Painted Post: January low 16°, July high 83°Campbell: January low 15°, July high 81°Hornby: January low 14°, July high 79°Rathbone: January low 15°, July high 81°Erwin: January low 15°, July high 81°Tuscarora: January low 15°, July high 81°Thurston: January low 15°, July high 80°Addison: January low 15°, July high 81°AddisonRathboneErwinTuscaroraThurston
ColderMilder14° to 16°
Thurston14.5° about the same
Addison14.8°
Rathbone14.9° about the same
Tuscarora15.1° about the same
Erwin15.2° about the same

Climates most like Addison’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Addison, NY15°81°37"48"
Oak Creek, WI16°81°34"49"
Beach Park, IL16°82°36"43"
Hillsdale, MI16°82°38"44"
Colchester, VT10°81°38"50"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Addison averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).

+1.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 71% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.2°now 26°, was 24°
Spring+0.6°now 44°, was 44°
Summer+0.7°now 67°, was 66°
Fall+0.9°now 49°, was 48°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Addison compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Addison’s place among New York’s.

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns270th coolest of 875 in New York
Winter cold15° January low
Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns253rd coldest of 875 in New York
Precipitation37" a year
Drier than 72% of U.S. towns128th driest of 875 in New York
Snow48" a winter
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns560th snowiest of 854 in New York
Hot days6 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 89% of U.S. towns289th fewest of 875 in New York
Freezing nights163 a year
More freezing nights than 93% of U.S. towns83rd most of 875 in New York
Growing season139 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 96% of U.S. towns18th shortest of 875 in New York
Month by month

Addison weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Addison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Addison, NY. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January32°15°2.2"13.3"1414° – 32°
February35°16°1.8"11.8"1111° – 33°
March43°23°2.6"9.6"1426° – 45°
April57°32°3.2"1.0"1439° – 50°
May69°43°3.2"0.1"1550° – 62°
June77°52°3.9"0.0"1461° – 68°
July81°57°3.7"0.0"1264° – 73°
August79°55°3.6"0.0"1263° – 71°
September72°49°4.0"0.0"1157° – 65°
October60°38°3.4"0.3"1544° – 56°
November47°30°2.6"2.1"1433° – 44°
December36°22°2.5"10.0"1520° – 40°
Year57°36°36.7"48.2"161
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Addison’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Addison’s center.
  • Snow: Addison, NY.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Corning, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Addison’s climate

What is the weather like in Addison?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Addison in winter?

January nights average 15°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.

How much snow does Addison get?

About 48 inches in a normal winter at Addison, NY, most of it in January.

How hot does it get in Addison?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Corning, NY).

When is the first and last frost in Addison?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 139 frost-free days, at Corning, NY.

What growing zone is Addison in?

Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.

What is the best time of year to visit Addison?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Addison getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Addison.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.