Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Midwinter lows in Dover Plains sink below those of 78% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 66% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.0°, most of all in December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 4 to October 7.
A year in Dover Plains at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dover Plains’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dover Plains’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Dover Plains feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Millbrook 3 W, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dover Plains’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 58 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stormville, NY, is heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dover Plains
93% 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 Millbrook 3 W, NY.
Living with Dover Plains’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dover Plains from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dover Plains and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dover Plains yet.
Climates most like Dover Plains’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover Plains, NY | 17° | 84° | 46" | 58" |
| Kingston, NH | 16° | 83° | 47" | 62" |
| Merrimac, MA | 16° | 83° | 47" | 62" |
| Franklin, PA | 19° | 83° | 45" | 54" |
| Cortland, OH | 18° | 83° | 43" | 68" |
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 Dover Plains averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Dover Plains compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dover Plains’ place among New York’s.
Dover Plains weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dover Plains’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stormville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 3.2" | 14.3" | 13 | 19 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 2.6" | 12.9" | 10 | 17 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 3.6" | 14.3" | 13 | 14 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 3.6" | 3.1" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 3.5" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 3.9" | 11.2" | 11 | 11 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 39° | 46.1" | 57.9" | 134 | 63 |
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 Dover Plains’ 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 Dover Plains’ center.
- Snow: Stormville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Millbrook 3 W, NY, 9 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 Dover Plains’ climate
What is the weather like in Dover Plains?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dover Plains in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Dover Plains get?
About 58 inches in a normal winter at Stormville, NY, heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dover Plains?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Millbrook 3 W, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Dover Plains?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 155 frost-free days, at Millbrook 3 W, NY.
What growing zone is Dover Plains in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dover Plains?
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 Dover Plains getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dover Plains.
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.