Nights turn raw in Afton each January, colder than in 86% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 12 to October 9.
A year in Afton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Afton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Afton’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Afton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Deposit, NY, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Afton’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norwich, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 173 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Afton
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Deposit, NY.
Living with Afton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Afton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Afton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Afton yet.
Climates most like Afton’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afton, NY | 14° | 82° | 44" | 75" |
| Hooksett, NH | 14° | 83° | 45" | 68" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Fitchburg, MA | 15° | 82° | 48" | 75" |
| Springfield, VT | 11° | 82° | 45" | 83" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Afton averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Afton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Afton’s place among New York’s.
Afton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Afton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norwich, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 2.9" | 17.8" | 18 | 23 | 14° – 31° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 2.4" | 17.4" | 14 | 22 | 12° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 3.2" | 14.7" | 15 | 15 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 3.7" | 2.3" | 15 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.2" | 5.6" | 15 | 5 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.2" | 16.7" | 17 | 17 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 43.8" | 74.8" | 173 | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Afton’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 Afton’s center.
- Snow: Norwich, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Deposit, NY, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Afton’s climate
What is the weather like in Afton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Afton in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 151 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 Afton get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Norwich, NY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Afton?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Deposit, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Afton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 152 frost-free days, at Deposit, NY.
What growing zone is Afton 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 Afton?
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 Afton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Afton.
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.