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Genesee County Courthouse Oct 09Photo: Pubdog · Public domain
Climate in Batavia · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Batavia has cooler summers than 92% of U.S. towns

January nights here settle around 16°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Garden planting can start around May 3; autumn frost returns near October 16.

More snow than 93% of U.S. towns#286Snowiest  of 854 in NY
Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns#407 coldest of 875 in NY
All NY rankings →

A year in Batavia at a glance

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

Jan31°16° 23" snow
Feb33°17° 19" snow
Mar42°24° 11" snow
Apr55°35°
May68°46° Last frost ~May 3
Jun76°56° 1 day 90°+
Jul80°60° 3 days 90°+
Aug78°58° 1 day 90°+
Sep72°52°
Oct60°41° First frost ~Oct 16Wettest
Nov now47°32° 6" snow
Dec37°23° 13" snow

What stands out about Batavia’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Batavia feels like

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

Winter
34° / 19°
21 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
55° / 35°
Last frost around May 3
Summer
78° / 58°
6 days reach 90°
Fall
60° / 41°
First frost around Oct 16
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 165 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Batavia, NY, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

131
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
565th most of 875 in New York
More freezing nights than 68% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
468th most of 875 in New York
More nights at or below 0° than 72% 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
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Batavia’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

2.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 74 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Batavia, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.

38"
Rain + melted snow a year
150th driest of 875 in New York
Drier than 70% of U.S. towns
74"
Snow in a normal winter
286th snowiest of 854 in New York
More snow than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.8"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

23"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Batavia

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.

6,808 heating degree daysMore heating than 84% of U.S. towns
525 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 84% 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 Batavia, NY.

Living here

Living with Batavia’s climate

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

The garden window

165 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 16.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Batavia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Batavia and its neighbors

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

Le Roy: January low 17°, July high 80°Byron: January low 17°, July high 81°Pavilion: January low 16°, July high 80°Alabama: January low 17°, July high 81°Newstead: January low 17°, July high 81°Darien: January low 16°, July high 80°Attica: January low 14°, July high 77°Middlebury: January low 15°, July high 78°Barre: January low 17°, July high 80°Stafford: January low 16°, July high 80°Pembroke: January low 16°, July high 80°Alexander: January low 16°, July high 80°Bethany: January low 16°, July high 80°Oakfield: January low 17°, July high 81°Elba: January low 17°, July high 81°Batavia: January low 16°, July high 80°BataviaStaffordPembrokeAlexanderBethanyOakfieldElba
ColderMilder14° to 17°
Alexander16.1° about the same
Bethany16.1° about the same
Batavia16.3°
Stafford16.3° about the same
Pembroke16.3° about the same
Elba16.6° about the same
Oakfield16.8° about the same

Climates most like Batavia’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
Batavia, NY16°80°38"74"
Grand Haven, MI19°81°36"87"
Bennington, VT13°81°42"75"
Michigan City, IN19°82°39"65"
Warrensville Heights, OH20°82°41"64"

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 Batavia averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).

+1.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 63% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.3°now 26°, was 24°
Spring+1.4°now 45°, was 43°
Summer+1.2°now 68°, was 67°
Fall+1.3°now 51°, was 49°

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 Batavia compares

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

Summer heat80° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns172nd coolest of 875 in New York
Winter cold16° January low
Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns407th coldest of 875 in New York
Precipitation38" a year
Drier than 70% of U.S. towns150th driest of 875 in New York
Snow74" a winter
More snow than 93% of U.S. towns286th 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 nights131 a year
More freezing nights than 68% of U.S. towns565th most of 875 in New York
Growing season165 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 77% of U.S. towns373rd shortest of 875 in New York
Month by month

Batavia weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January31°16°2.5"23.0"1514° – 33°
February33°17°2.0"18.6"1210° – 34°
March42°24°2.5"11.4"1226° – 46°
April55°35°3.2"1.7"1338° – 51°
May68°46°3.3"0.0"1349° – 62°
June76°56°3.7"0.0"1262° – 70°
July80°60°3.6"0.0"1165° – 74°
August78°58°3.6"0.0"1064° – 73°
September72°52°3.6"0.0"1258° – 66°
October60°41°3.8"0.4"1546° – 57°
November47°32°3.0"5.8"1233° – 47°
December37°23°2.7"13.0"1421° – 42°
Year57°38°37.5"73.9"151
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 10° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Batavia’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 Batavia’s center.
  • Snow: Batavia, NY.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Batavia, NY, 4 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 Batavia’s climate

What is the weather like in Batavia?

A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Batavia in winter?

January nights average 16°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.

How much snow does Batavia get?

About 74 inches in a normal winter at Batavia, NY, most of it in January.

How hot does it get in Batavia?

July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Batavia, NY).

When is the first and last frost in Batavia?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 165 frost-free days, at Batavia, NY.

What growing zone is Batavia in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.

What is the best time of year to visit Batavia?

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 Batavia getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.