Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Cattaraugus gets about 133 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 93 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 133 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cattaraugus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cattaraugus’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cattaraugus’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Cattaraugus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Little Valley, NY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cattaraugus’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 133 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Little Valley, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 180 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cattaraugus
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 Little Valley, NY.
Living with Cattaraugus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cattaraugus from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cattaraugus and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cattaraugus yet.
Climates most like Cattaraugus’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattaraugus, NY | 15° | 79° | 46" | 133" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 79° | 49" | 84" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Wakefield, NH | 11° | 80° | 49" | 81" |
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 Cattaraugus averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Cattaraugus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cattaraugus’ place among New York’s.
Cattaraugus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cattaraugus’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Little Valley, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.5" | 36.1" | 20 | 27 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 15° | 2.5" | 25.9" | 15 | 24 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 3.0" | 18.9" | 15 | 19 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.6" | 4.0" | 15 | 4 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 4.4" | 1.0" | 15 | 1 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 3.8" | 16.3" | 16 | 9 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 4.0" | 31.1" | 20 | 22 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 46.2" | 133.3" | 180 | 105 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cattaraugus’ 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 Cattaraugus’ center.
- Snow: Little Valley, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Little Valley, NY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher; 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 Cattaraugus’ climate
What is the weather like in Cattaraugus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 133 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cattaraugus in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Cattaraugus get?
About 133 inches in a normal winter at Little Valley, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cattaraugus?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Little Valley, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Cattaraugus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 136 frost-free days, at Little Valley, NY.
What growing zone is Cattaraugus in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cattaraugus?
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 Cattaraugus getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cattaraugus.
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.