Hilton gets about 102 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Hilton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hilton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hilton’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Hilton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brockport, NY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hilton’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 102 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rochester Gtr International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hilton
92% 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 Brockport, NY.
Living with Hilton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hilton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hilton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hilton yet.
Climates most like Hilton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton, NY | 18° | 81° | 34" | 102" |
| Grand Haven, MI | 19° | 81° | 36" | 87" |
| Richmond Heights, OH | 21° | 82° | 41" | 114" |
| Shelburne, VT | 11° | 82° | 38" | 88" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Hilton averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Hilton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hilton’s place among New York’s.
Hilton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hilton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rochester Gtr International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.4" | 27.4" | 20 | 21 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 34° | 19° | 2.0" | 23.1" | 16 | 19 | 13° – 35° |
| March | 42° | 26° | 2.3" | 17.9" | 15 | 13 | 28° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.0" | 3.0" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.7" | 8.1" | 15 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 25° | 2.6" | 22.3" | 18 | 14 | 23° – 43° |
| Year | 57° | 40° | 33.8" | 102.0" | 168 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Hilton’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 Hilton’s center.
- Snow: Rochester Gtr International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brockport, NY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Hilton’s climate
What is the weather like in Hilton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 102 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hilton in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 128 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 15°.
How much snow does Hilton get?
About 102 inches in a normal winter at Rochester Gtr International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hilton?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 62°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Brockport, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Hilton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 187 frost-free days, at Brockport, NY.
What growing zone is Hilton 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 Hilton?
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 Hilton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hilton.
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.