Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Cornwall than on 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
January nights here settle around 18°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 78% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 10 to November 1.
A year in Cornwall at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cornwall’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cornwall’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Cornwall feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Point, NY, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cornwall’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at West Point, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cornwall
86% 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 West Point, NY.
Living with Cornwall’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 66 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cornwall from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cornwall and its neighbors
Fishkill the hottest July afternoons (85°, 3° 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 Cornwall’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall, NY | 18° | 82° | 49" | 36" |
| Peabody, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
| Durham, NH | 15° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Berwick, ME | 13° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
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 Cornwall averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Cornwall compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cornwall’s place among New York’s.
Cornwall weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cornwall’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from West Point, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 3.5" | 11.1" | 10 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 2.8" | 7.1" | 8 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 3.9" | 9.6" | 9 | 30° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 11 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 43° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.7" | 0.5" | 9 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 4.1" | 7.0" | 10 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 59° | 41° | 48.6" | 35.7" | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cornwall’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 Cornwall’s center.
- Snow: West Point, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: West Point, NY, 6 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 Cornwall’s climate
What is the weather like in Cornwall?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cornwall in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Cornwall get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at West Point, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Cornwall?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (West Point, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Cornwall?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 204 frost-free days, at West Point, NY.
What growing zone is Cornwall in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cornwall?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cornwall getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cornwall.
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.