Photo: Pollinator (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Gainesville
January mornings start at about 14°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 66–78°.
A year in Gainesville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gainesville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gainesville’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Gainesville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gainesville’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Portageville, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gainesville
96% 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 Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
Living with Gainesville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gainesville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gainesville and its neighbors
Castile the hottest July afternoons (79°, 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 Gainesville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville, NY | 14° | 78° | 41" | 70" |
| Bucksport, ME | 10° | 79° | 46" | 75" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 80° | 42" | 61" |
| Ludington, MI | 18° | 78° | 34" | 79" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
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 Gainesville averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Gainesville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gainesville’s place among New York’s.
Gainesville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gainesville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Portageville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 2.8" | 18.6" | 14 | 22 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 2.2" | 14.2" | 11 | 18 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 2.7" | 12.9" | 11 | 12 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.2" | 6.8" | 13 | 5 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.0" | 16.2" | 14 | 15 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 40.9" | 70.1" | 151 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gainesville’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 Gainesville’s center.
- Snow: Portageville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Warsaw 6 Sw, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 Gainesville’s climate
What is the weather like in Gainesville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gainesville in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Gainesville get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Portageville, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gainesville?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Gainesville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 156 frost-free days, at Warsaw 6 Sw, NY.
What growing zone is Gainesville in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gainesville?
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 Gainesville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gainesville.
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.