Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0No extremes in Firthcliffe: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 19°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Firthcliffe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Firthcliffe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Firthcliffe’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Firthcliffe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Point, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Firthcliffe’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at West Point, NY, falls mostly in January. 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 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Firthcliffe
86% 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 West Point, NY.
Living with Firthcliffe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Firthcliffe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Firthcliffe and its neighbors
Cornwall has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Firthcliffe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firthcliffe, NY | 19° | 85° | 46" | 36" |
| Kenmar, PA | 19° | 85° | 44" | 36" |
| Manchester, MD | 22° | 84° | 47" | 34" |
| Cochituate, MA | 17° | 84° | 47" | 46" |
| Cumberland, IN | 20° | 85° | 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 Firthcliffe averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Firthcliffe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Firthcliffe’s place among New York’s.
Firthcliffe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Firthcliffe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from West Point, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 3.2" | 11.1" | 10 | 18° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 2.6" | 7.1" | 8 | 17° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 3.7" | 9.6" | 9 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.5" | 0.5" | 9 | 38° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 3.9" | 7.0" | 10 | 26° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 46.3" | 35.7" | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Firthcliffe’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 Firthcliffe’s center.
- Snow: West Point, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: West Point, NY, 5 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 Firthcliffe’s climate
What is the weather like in Firthcliffe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Firthcliffe in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Firthcliffe get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at West Point, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Firthcliffe?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (West Point, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Firthcliffe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 204 frost-free days, at West Point, NY.
What growing zone is Firthcliffe in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Firthcliffe?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Firthcliffe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Firthcliffe.
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.