Tripp House and Store Complex · Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0Durham’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Durham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Durham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Durham’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Durham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cairo 3 Nw, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Durham’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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alcove Dam, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 131 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Durham
91% 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 Cairo 3 Nw, NY.
Living with Durham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 8.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Durham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Durham and its neighbors
Rensselaerville has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 1° colder) and Cairo the hottest July afternoons (84°, 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 Durham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NY | 14° | 82° | 43" | 46" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Dover, NH | 15° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
| St. Marys, PA | 16° | 80° | 46" | 53" |
| South Berwick, ME | 14° | 82° | 48" | 56" |
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 Durham averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Durham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Durham’s place among New York’s.
Durham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Durham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alcove Dam, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 2.8" | 11.4" | 11 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 2.4" | 11.6" | 9 | 11° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 3.4" | 9.8" | 10 | 26° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.8" | 11 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 12 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 9 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 3.6" | 11.4" | 10 | 23° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 43.2" | 45.7" | 131 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Durham’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 Durham’s center.
- Snow: Alcove Dam, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cairo 3 Nw, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Durham’s climate
What is the weather like in Durham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Durham in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Durham get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Alcove Dam, NY, most of it in January, February and December.
How hot does it get in Durham?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Cairo 3 Nw, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Durham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 169 frost-free days, at Cairo 3 Nw, NY.
What growing zone is Durham 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 Durham?
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 Durham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Durham.
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.