Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0Herkimer’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 81°
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°.
A year in Herkimer at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Herkimer’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Herkimer’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Herkimer feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Little Falls City Rsch, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Herkimer’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 45 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Herkimer
95% 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 Little Falls City Rsch, NY.
Living with Herkimer’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Herkimer from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Herkimer and its neighbors
Fairfield has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 1° colder) and Herkimer the hottest July afternoons (83°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Herkimer averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Herkimer compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Herkimer’s place among New York’s.
Herkimer weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Herkimer’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 12° | 2.9" | 10° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 2.6" | 9° – 29° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 3.2" | 24° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 3.7" | 36° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 4.0" | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.6" | 62° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.9" | 58° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 4.3" | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.4" | 32° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 20° | 3.5" | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 44.8" |
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 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Herkimer’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 Herkimer’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Little Falls City Rsch, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Herkimer’s climate
What is the weather like in Herkimer?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Herkimer in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 164 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How hot does it get in Herkimer?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Little Falls City Rsch, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Herkimer?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 151 frost-free days, at Little Falls City Rsch, NY.
What growing zone is Herkimer in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Herkimer?
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 Herkimer getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Herkimer.
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.