Photo: Walker, L. E., 1826-1916 -- Publisher · Public domainChautauqua gets about 225 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 5 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 79°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 68–79°.
A year in Chautauqua at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chautauqua’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chautauqua’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Chautauqua feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jamestown 4 Ene, NY, 20 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chautauqua’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 225 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sherman, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 160 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chautauqua
94% 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 Jamestown 4 Ene, NY.
Living with Chautauqua’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 48 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chautauqua from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chautauqua and its neighbors
Ellery has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chautauqua’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua, NY | 16° | 79° | 46" | 225" |
| Truckee, CA | 19° | 82° | 35" | 183" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
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 Chautauqua averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Chautauqua compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chautauqua’s place among New York’s.
Chautauqua weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chautauqua’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sherman, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 3.5" | 61.7" | 21 | 27 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 2.6" | 36.0" | 15 | 24 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 2.9" | 37.5" | 15 | 19 | 25° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.5" | 7.7" | 13 | 4 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 75° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 41° | 5.0" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 32° | 3.8" | 26.6" | 14 | 10 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 4.0" | 52.9" | 17 | 21 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 38° | 46.3" | 224.5" | 160 | 106 |
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 9°.
Where Chautauqua’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 Chautauqua’s center.
- Snow: Sherman, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jamestown 4 Ene, NY, 20 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Chautauqua’s climate
What is the weather like in Chautauqua?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 225 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chautauqua in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Chautauqua get?
About 225 inches in a normal winter at Sherman, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 106 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chautauqua?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Jamestown 4 Ene, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Chautauqua?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 158 frost-free days, at Jamestown 4 Ene, NY.
What growing zone is Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua?
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 Chautauqua getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chautauqua.
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.