East Hill Historic District · Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.0Danby’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Danby at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Danby’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Danby’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Danby feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Danby’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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Danby
95% 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 Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
Living with Danby’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 36 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Danby from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Danby and its neighbors
Spencer the hottest July afternoons (82°, 2° 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 Danby’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danby, NY | 14° | 79° | 40" | 63" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 80° | 42" | 61" |
| Bangor, ME | 10° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
| Cadillac, MI | 12° | 80° | 35" | 74" |
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 Danby averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Danby compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Danby’s place among New York’s.
Danby weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Danby’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 2.5" | 16.6" | 16 | 21 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 2.2" | 14.5" | 13 | 20 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 3.0" | 12.0" | 14 | 13 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 3.4" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.0" | 4.6" | 14 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 2.9" | 12.2" | 16 | 14 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 40.3" | 62.9" | 166 | 73 |
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 Danby’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 Danby’s center.
- Snow: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Danby’s climate
What is the weather like in Danby?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Danby in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Danby get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Danby?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Danby?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 145 frost-free days, at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
What growing zone is Danby 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 Danby?
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 Danby getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Danby.
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.