Photo: Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com · CC BY-SA 3.0Highlands gets more rain and snow than 82% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 18°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 78% of U.S. towns. From May to October, highs of 62–82° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Highlands at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highlands’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highlands’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Highlands 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, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highlands’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 49 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 Highlands
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 Highlands’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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, July, August, September and October. 58 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highlands from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highlands and its neighbors
Philipstown the hottest July afternoons (85°, 3° 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 Highlands’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands, NY | 18° | 82° | 49" | 36" |
| Peabody, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
| Durham, NH | 15° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Berwick, ME | 13° | 82° | 48" | 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 Highlands 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 Highlands compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highlands’ place among New York’s.
Highlands weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highlands’ 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 | 35° | 18° | 3.6" | 11.1" | 10 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 2.8" | 7.1" | 8 | 16° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 4.1" | 9.6" | 9 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 11 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 44° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 9 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 4.2" | 7.0" | 10 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 59° | 41° | 49.3" | 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 16° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Highlands’ 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 Highlands’ center.
- Snow: West Point, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: West Point, NY, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 Highlands’ climate
What is the weather like in Highlands?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highlands in winter?
January nights average 18°. 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 17°.
How much snow does Highlands get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at West Point, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Highlands?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (West Point, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Highlands?
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 Highlands in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highlands?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Highlands 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 Highlands.
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.