Photo: Alexisrael · CC BY-SA 3.0Highland Falls gets more rain and snow than 76% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Plan time outside from May to June and August to October, when highs sit at 64–82°.
A year in Highland Falls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highland Falls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highland Falls’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Highland Falls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Point, NY, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highland Falls’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at West Point, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Highland Falls
86% 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 West Point, NY.
Living with Highland Falls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highland Falls from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highland Falls and its neighbors
West Point has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Highland Falls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Falls, NY | 19° | 84° | 48" | 36" |
| West Bridgewater, MA | 20° | 84° | 51" | 34" |
| Manchester, MD | 22° | 84° | 47" | 34" |
| New Freedom, PA | 21° | 84° | 48" | 29" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
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 Highland Falls averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Highland Falls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highland Falls’ place among New York’s.
Highland Falls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highland Falls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from West Point, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 3.5" | 11.1" | 10 | 18° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 2.8" | 7.1" | 8 | 17° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 4.0" | 9.6" | 9 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 11 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 9 | 38° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 4.1" | 7.0" | 10 | 26° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 48.1" | 35.7" | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Highland Falls’ 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 Highland Falls’ center.
- Snow: West Point, NY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: West Point, NY, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Highland Falls’ climate
What is the weather like in Highland Falls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highland Falls in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Highland Falls get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at West Point, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Highland Falls?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (West Point, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Highland Falls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 204 frost-free days, at West Point, NY.
What growing zone is Highland Falls in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highland Falls?
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 Highland Falls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highland Falls.
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.