Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Cranberry Lake
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. October is the wettest month, February the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Cranberry Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cranberry Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cranberry Lake’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Cranberry Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wanakena Rngr School, NY, 2.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cranberry Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 44 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cranberry Lake
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Wanakena Rngr School, NY.
Living with Cranberry Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 18 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cranberry Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cranberry Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cranberry Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Cranberry Lake averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.3°).
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 Cranberry Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cranberry Lake’s place among New York’s.
Cranberry Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cranberry Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 6° | 3.1" | 3° – 26° |
| February | 30° | 6° | 2.6" | 3° – 26° |
| March | 38° | 15° | 2.9" | 16° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 3.5" | 33° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.8" | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.3" | 58° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.2" | 61° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 3.8" | 61° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 46° | 4.0" | 52° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 4.6" | 40° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 3.5" | 28° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 14° | 3.3" | 14° – 35° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 43.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 26°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cranberry Lake’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 Cranberry Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wanakena Rngr School, NY, 2.8 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 Cranberry Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Cranberry Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cranberry Lake in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How hot does it get in Cranberry Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wanakena Rngr School, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Cranberry Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 132 frost-free days, at Wanakena Rngr School, NY.
What growing zone is Cranberry Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cranberry Lake?
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 Cranberry Lake 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 Cranberry Lake.
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.