Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0Horseheads has colder winter nights than 81% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 78% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in February. Garden planting can start around May 6; autumn frost returns near October 11.
A year in Horseheads at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horseheads’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horseheads’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Horseheads feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elmira, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horseheads’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elmira, NY, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Horseheads
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 Elmira, NY.
Living with Horseheads’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horseheads from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horseheads and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Horseheads in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Horseheads’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
| Eaton Rapids, MI | 17° | 82° | 36" | 38" |
| Sturtevant, WI | 15° | 82° | 35" | 41" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 Horseheads averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
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 Horseheads compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horseheads’ place among New York’s.
Horseheads weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horseheads’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elmira, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 2.0" | 8.4" | 12 | 17 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 17° | 1.7" | 9.5" | 10 | 16 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.5" | 11.2" | 11 | 11 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 3.2" | 1.5" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.7" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 2.4" | 8.4" | 12 | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 35.5" | 41.8" | 140 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Horseheads’ 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 Horseheads’ center.
- Snow: Elmira, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elmira, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Horseheads’ climate
What is the weather like in Horseheads?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horseheads in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Horseheads get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Elmira, NY, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in Horseheads?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Elmira, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Horseheads?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 158 frost-free days, at Elmira, NY.
What growing zone is Horseheads in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Horseheads?
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 Horseheads 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 Horseheads.
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.