Franklin Hinchey House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Gates gets about 102 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 81°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about April 24; in half of years the first frost comes by October 25.
A year in Gates at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gates’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gates’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Gates feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rochester Gtr International Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gates’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 102 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rochester Gtr International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gates
90% 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 Rochester Gtr International Airport.
Living with Gates’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gates from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gates and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gates in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gates’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates, NY | 18° | 81° | 35" | 102" |
| Muskegon, MI | 19° | 81° | 36" | 87" |
| South Euclid, OH | 20° | 82° | 41" | 114" |
| Shelburne, VT | 11° | 82° | 38" | 88" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
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 Gates averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Gates compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gates’ place among New York’s.
Gates weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gates’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rochester Gtr International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.4" | 27.4" | 20 | 21 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 2.0" | 23.1" | 16 | 19 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.4" | 17.9" | 15 | 13 | 27° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.0" | 3.0" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 60° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.7" | 8.1" | 15 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.6" | 22.3" | 18 | 14 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 57° | 40° | 34.7" | 102.0" | 168 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gates’ 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 Gates’ center.
- Snow: Rochester Gtr International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rochester Gtr International Airport, 3 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 Gates’ climate
What is the weather like in Gates?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 102 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gates in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 129 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Gates get?
About 102 inches in a normal winter at Rochester Gtr International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gates?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 62°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Rochester Gtr International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Gates?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 181 frost-free days, at Rochester Gtr International Airport.
What growing zone is Gates in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gates?
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 Gates getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gates.
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.