Logan Methodist Church · Photo: Dmadeo · CC BY-SA 3.0Hector’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Hector at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hector’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hector’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Hector feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mecklenburg 4sw, NY, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hector’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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hector
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 Mecklenburg 4sw, NY.
Living with Hector’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 51 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hector from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hector and its neighbors
Watkins Glen the hottest July afternoons (83°, 4° 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 Hector’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hector, NY | 15° | 79° | 37" | 63" |
| Green Bay, WI | 13° | 78° | 32" | 56" |
| Cadillac, MI | 12° | 80° | 35" | 74" |
| Milton, VT | 10° | 80° | 40" | 50" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 80° | 42" | 61" |
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 Hector averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Hector compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hector’s place among New York’s.
Hector weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hector’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 2.2" | 16.6" | 16 | 21 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 1.9" | 14.5" | 13 | 20 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 2.6" | 12.0" | 14 | 13 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.1" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 2.6" | 4.6" | 14 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 2.6" | 12.2" | 16 | 14 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 55° | 37° | 37.2" | 62.9" | 166 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hector’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 Hector’s center.
- Snow: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mecklenburg 4sw, NY, 1.7 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 Hector’s climate
What is the weather like in Hector?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hector in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Hector get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hector?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mecklenburg 4sw, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Hector?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 150 frost-free days, at Mecklenburg 4sw, NY.
What growing zone is Hector 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 Hector?
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 Hector getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hector.
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.