Photo: N-Lange.de · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives softly in Bergen, cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 17° on average. October is the wettest month, February the driest. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 78% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 24; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Bergen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bergen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bergen’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Bergen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brockport, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bergen’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Avon, NY, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bergen
92% 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 Brockport, NY.
Living with Bergen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bergen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bergen and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bergen in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bergen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen, NY | 17° | 81° | 34" | 52" |
| Cudahy, WI | 16° | 81° | 34" | 49" |
| Bay City, MI | 16° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bergen averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Bergen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bergen’s place among New York’s.
Bergen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bergen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Avon, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.3" | 13.4" | 15 | 19 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.9" | 12.3" | 12 | 17 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 2.3" | 10.7" | 13 | 12 | 27° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.0" | 1.3" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.6" | 4.7" | 13 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 24° | 2.5" | 9.3" | 14 | 13 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 34.2" | 51.7" | 149 | 66 |
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 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bergen’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 Bergen’s center.
- Snow: Avon, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brockport, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Bergen’s climate
What is the weather like in Bergen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bergen in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Bergen get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Avon, NY, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 66 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bergen?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Brockport, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Bergen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 187 frost-free days, at Brockport, NY.
What growing zone is Bergen in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bergen?
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 Bergen 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 Bergen.
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.