Photo: Unknown artistUnknown artist · Public domainBolivar gets about 103 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in December. Garden planting can start around May 20; autumn frost returns near September 29.
A year in Bolivar at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bolivar’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bolivar’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Bolivar feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bolivar’s 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 103 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Friendship 7 Sw, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bolivar
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA.
Living with Bolivar’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bolivar from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bolivar and its neighbors
Sharon Township the hottest July afternoons (81°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bolivar’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar, NY | 14° | 79° | 42" | 103" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Williston, VT | 10° | 80° | 41" | 86" |
| Winslow, ME | 10° | 79° | 45" | 86" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
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 Bolivar averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Bolivar compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bolivar’s place among New York’s.
Bolivar weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bolivar’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Friendship 7 Sw, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 2.9" | 26.7" | 19 | 24 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 2.2" | 17.4" | 14 | 21 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 2.8" | 18.8" | 15 | 15 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 3.6" | 4.5" | 15 | 2 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 3.9" | 1.1" | 14 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.2" | 12.2" | 16 | 7 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 3.2" | 22.6" | 18 | 19 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 42.4" | 103.3" | 176 | 89 |
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 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bolivar’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 Bolivar’s center.
- Snow: Friendship 7 Sw, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oswayo 1 Ene, PA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 310 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 Bolivar’s climate
What is the weather like in Bolivar?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 103 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bolivar in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Bolivar get?
About 103 inches in a normal winter at Friendship 7 Sw, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bolivar?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Oswayo 1 Ene, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Bolivar?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 130 frost-free days, at Oswayo 1 Ene, PA.
What growing zone is Bolivar 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 Bolivar?
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 Bolivar 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 Bolivar.
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.