Howard’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Howard at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Howard’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Howard’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Howard feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Howard’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 172 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Howard
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 Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
Living with Howard’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 11 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Howard from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Howard and its neighbors
Hornellsville the hottest July afternoons (82°, 2° 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 Howard’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard, NY | 14° | 80° | 37" | 62" |
| Cadillac, MI | 12° | 80° | 35" | 74" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Lebanon, NH | 10° | 82° | 40" | 61" |
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 Howard averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Howard compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Howard’s place among New York’s.
Howard weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Howard’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hornell Almond Dam, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 2.2" | 16.4" | 18 | 24 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 1.9" | 13.9" | 14 | 21 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 2.4" | 11.6" | 15 | 17 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.1" | 2.3" | 15 | 2 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 2.7" | 3.5" | 14 | 5 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 2.5" | 14.0" | 17 | 17 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 37.0" | 62.1" | 172 | 87 |
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 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Howard’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 Howard’s center.
- Snow: Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Howard’s climate
What is the weather like in Howard?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Howard in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Howard get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Howard?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Hornell Almond Dam, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Howard?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 150 frost-free days, at Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
What growing zone is Howard in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Howard?
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 Howard getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Howard.
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.