Afternoon heat in Cortland West trails that of 94% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 14°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 65°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cortland West at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cortland West’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cortland West’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Cortland West feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Freeville 1 Ne, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cortland West’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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Freeville 1 Ne, NY, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cortland West
96% 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 Freeville 1 Ne, NY.
Living with Cortland West’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 8.
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 Cortland West from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cortland West and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cortland West yet.
Climates most like Cortland West’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland West, NY | 14° | 79° | 42" | 64" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Treasure Lake, PA | 17° | 80° | 45" | 53" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
| Newport, NH | 10° | 81° | 44" | 66" |
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 Cortland West averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Cortland West compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cortland West’s place among New York’s.
Cortland West weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cortland West’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Freeville 1 Ne, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 2.8" | 16.1" | 14 | 22 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 2.4" | 14.5" | 11 | 20 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 3.1" | 13.0" | 12 | 14 | 24° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 3.4" | 2.4" | 12 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.2" | 5.6" | 12 | 5 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.3" | 12.7" | 14 | 14 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 42.3" | 64.4" | 149 | 77 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cortland West’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 Cortland West’s center.
- Snow: Freeville 1 Ne, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Freeville 1 Ne, NY, 7 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 Cortland West’s climate
What is the weather like in Cortland West?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cortland West in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Cortland West get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Freeville 1 Ne, NY, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 77 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cortland West?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Freeville 1 Ne, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Cortland West?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Freeville 1 Ne, NY.
What growing zone is Cortland West 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 Cortland West?
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 Cortland West getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cortland West.
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.