Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Duane gets about 98 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 98 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Duane at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Duane’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Duane’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Duane feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 97 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saranac Rgnl Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Duane’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 98 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Malone, NY, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 169 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Duane
99% 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 Saranac Rgnl Airport.
Living with Duane’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
97 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 2 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Duane from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Duane and its neighbors
Malone the hottest July afternoons (77°, 1° 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 Duane’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duane, NY | 5° | 76° | 44" | 98" |
| Houlton, ME | 4° | 78° | 42" | 96" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
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 Duane averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
A bigger 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 Duane compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Duane’s place among New York’s.
Duane weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Duane’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Malone, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 5° | 2.9" | 22.7" | 17 | 28 | 1° – 24° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 2.4" | 20.2" | 14 | 26 | 3° – 25° |
| March | 36° | 15° | 2.7" | 17.0" | 13 | 22 | 15° – 38° |
| April | 50° | 28° | 3.5" | 7.1" | 14 | 6 | 33° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 4.5" | 1.4" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 25° | 3.3" | 8.8" | 15 | 8 | 26° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 13° | 3.2" | 20.6" | 17 | 21 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 43.5" | 98.1" | 169 | 112 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Duane’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 Duane’s center.
- Snow: Malone, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saranac Rgnl Airport, 15 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 Duane’s climate
What is the weather like in Duane?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 98 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Duane in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 201 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Duane get?
About 98 inches in a normal winter at Malone, NY, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 112 days a year.
How hot does it get in Duane?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 54°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Saranac Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Duane?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 9, about 97 frost-free days, at Saranac Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Duane in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Duane?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Duane getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Duane.
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.