Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0No extremes in Franklin Square: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Franklin Square at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Franklin Square’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Franklin Square’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Franklin Square feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at JFK Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Franklin Square’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at JFK Airport, falls mostly in February. 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 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Franklin Square
83% of the work is heating. 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 JFK Airport.
Living with Franklin Square’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Franklin Square from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Franklin Square and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Franklin Square in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Franklin Square’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Square, NY | 26° | 85° | 46" | 26" |
| Damascus, MD | 25° | 85° | 45" | 31" |
| Independence, KY | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Amelia, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 Franklin Square averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Franklin Square compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Franklin Square’s place among New York’s.
Franklin Square weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Franklin Square’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from JFK Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 26° | 3.4" | 7.5" | 11 | 6 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 27° | 3.0" | 8.6" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 41° |
| March | 50° | 33° | 4.2" | 4.3" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 45° | 31° | 4.3" | 4.5" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 63° | 46° | 45.6" | 25.9" | 121 | 20 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Franklin Square’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 Franklin Square’s center.
- Snow: JFK Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: JFK Airport, 6 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 Franklin Square’s climate
What is the weather like in Franklin Square?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Franklin Square in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Franklin Square get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at JFK Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Franklin Square?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 67°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (JFK Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Franklin Square?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 226 frost-free days, at JFK Airport.
What growing zone is Franklin Square in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Franklin Square?
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 Franklin Square getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Franklin Square.
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.