Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Winter nights in Germantown are colder than in 76% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 85°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. Tender plants can go out after about April 25; in half of years the first frost comes by October 18.
A year in Germantown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Germantown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Germantown’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Germantown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Germantown’s center in zone 6a: 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Germantown
88% 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 Hudson Correctional Facility, NY.
Living with Germantown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Germantown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Germantown and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Germantown in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Germantown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown, NY | 17° | 85° | 45" | 31" |
| Kenmar, PA | 19° | 85° | 44" | 36" |
| Lawrence, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 27" |
| New Albany, OH | 20° | 84° | 43" | 28" |
| Manteno, IL | 17° | 84° | 40" | 29" |
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 Germantown averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 76% 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 Germantown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Germantown’s place among New York’s.
Germantown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Germantown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hudson Correctional Facility, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 3.0" | 8.2" | 8 | 5 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 2.7" | 8.5" | 8 | 9 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 3.3" | 4.4" | 8 | 5 | 30° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 3.2" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 3.7" | 9.1" | 9 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 44.7" | 31.0" | 116 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Germantown’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 Germantown’s center.
- Snow: Hudson Correctional Facility, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Germantown’s climate
What is the weather like in Germantown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Germantown in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Germantown get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Germantown?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Hudson Correctional Facility, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Germantown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 176 frost-free days, at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY.
What growing zone is Germantown in?
Zone 6a 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 Germantown?
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 Germantown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Germantown.
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.