Bliss sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 14° on average. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bliss at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bliss’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bliss’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Bliss feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bliss’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Portageville, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bliss
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
Living with Bliss’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 8.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bliss from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bliss and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bliss yet.
Climates most like Bliss’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bliss, NY | 14° | 77° | 43" | 70" |
| Bath, ME | 13° | 78° | 48" | 72" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Northfield, VT | 7° | 79° | 44" | 76" |
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 Bliss averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Bliss compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bliss’ place among New York’s.
Bliss weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bliss’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Portageville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 14° | 3.2" | 18.6" | 14 | 22 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 2.5" | 14.2" | 11 | 18 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 3.0" | 12.9" | 11 | 12 | 23° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.4" | 1.2" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 77° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 3.5" | 6.8" | 13 | 5 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.5" | 16.2" | 14 | 15 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 43.4" | 70.1" | 151 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bliss’ 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 Bliss’ center.
- Snow: Portageville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Warsaw 6 Sw, NY, 7 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 Bliss’ climate
What is the weather like in Bliss?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bliss in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Bliss get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Portageville, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bliss?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Bliss?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 156 frost-free days, at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
What growing zone is Bliss in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bliss?
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 Bliss getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bliss.
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.