Photo: Debrak1221 · CC BY-SA 4.0Highland-on-the-Lake gets about 95 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. Seasons differ by 61°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 93% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 7, with the first autumn frost due around October 11.
A year in Highland-on-the-Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highland-on-the-Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highland-on-the-Lake’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Highland-on-the-Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colden 1 N, NY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highland-on-the-Lake’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 95 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buffalo, NY, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; October 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 Highland-on-the-Lake
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 Colden 1 N, NY.
Living with Highland-on-the-Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 11.
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 Highland-on-the-Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highland-on-the-Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Highland-on-the-Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Highland-on-the-Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland-on-the-Lake, NY | 19° | 80° | 40" | 95" |
| Grand Haven, MI | 19° | 81° | 36" | 87" |
| South Euclid, OH | 20° | 82° | 41" | 114" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
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-on-the-Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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-on-the-Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highland-on-the-Lake’s place among New York’s.
Highland-on-the-Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highland-on-the-Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buffalo, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 3.1" | 26.7" | 19 | 21 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 2.1" | 18.1" | 16 | 19 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.6" | 14.1" | 15 | 12 | 26° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.4" | 2.5" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.9" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 35° | 3.4" | 7.8" | 14 | 4 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 3.5" | 25.3" | 18 | 14 | 22° – 43° |
| Year | 57° | 41° | 40.1" | 95.4" | 166 | 71 |
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 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Highland-on-the-Lake’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 Highland-on-the-Lake’s center.
- Snow: Buffalo, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colden 1 N, NY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 370 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-on-the-Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Highland-on-the-Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 95 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highland-on-the-Lake in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Highland-on-the-Lake get?
About 95 inches in a normal winter at Buffalo, NY, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Highland-on-the-Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 62°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Colden 1 N, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Highland-on-the-Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 156 frost-free days, at Colden 1 N, NY.
What growing zone is Highland-on-the-Lake in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highland-on-the-Lake?
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 Highland-on-the-Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highland-on-the-Lake.
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.