A middle-of-the-road climate: Elwood is close to most U.S. towns on every count
In January the night’s low is typically 24°. The wettest month is December; the driest is February. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 66% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Elwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elwood’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Elwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Centerport, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elwood’s center in zone 7b: 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 32 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Islip Li Macarthur Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; December is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elwood
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Centerport, NY.
Living with Elwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elwood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elwood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elwood, NY | 24° | 84° | 46" | 32" |
| Mount Airy, MD | 24° | 85° | 46" | 31" |
| Uniontown, PA | 22° | 84° | 45" | 28" |
| Bridgeport, WV | 23° | 84° | 47" | 24" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
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 Elwood averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Elwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elwood’s place among New York’s.
Elwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Islip Li Macarthur Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 24° | 3.4" | 10.3" | 11 | 7 | 24° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 25° | 3.0" | 9.4" | 10 | 9 | 22° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 32° | 4.3" | 6.5" | 11 | 4 | 35° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.4" | 4.5" | 12 | 3 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 62° | 45° | 46.1" | 31.8" | 122 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elwood’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 Elwood’s center.
- Snow: Islip Li Macarthur Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Centerport, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Elwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Elwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elwood in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 88 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Elwood get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Islip Li Macarthur Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elwood?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 66°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Centerport, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Elwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 215 frost-free days, at Centerport, NY.
What growing zone is Elwood in?
Zone 7b 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 Elwood?
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 Elwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elwood.
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.