Nights turn raw in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek each January, colder than in 86% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 74% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Albany Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Albany Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek
90% 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 Albany Airport.
Living with Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek yet.
Climates most like Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek, NY | 15° | 83° | 43" | 59" |
| Greenville, PA | 18° | 83° | 43" | 62" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Niles, MI | 18° | 83° | 40" | 63" |
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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s place among New York’s.
Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albany Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 15° | 2.8" | 15.6" | 13 | 18 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 2.5" | 13.7" | 11 | 16 | 11° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 3.0" | 12.0" | 12 | 10 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.4" | 1.6" | 12 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 3.4" | 13.3" | 13 | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 42.5" | 59.2" | 139 | 57 |
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 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s center.
- Snow: Albany Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Albany Airport, 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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Albany Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Albany Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 169 frost-free days, at Albany Airport.
What growing zone is Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek?
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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek 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 Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek.
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.