Photo: Anne LaBastille · Public domainInlet gets about 158 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 51 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 75°. A year here swings 70° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Inlet at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Inlet’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Inlet’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Inlet feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Moose 3 Se, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Inlet’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 158 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Old Forge, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; October 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 Inlet
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Big Moose 3 Se, NY.
Living with Inlet’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Inlet from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (89%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Inlet and its neighbors
Long Lake the hottest July afternoons (77°, 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 Inlet’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inlet, NY | 5° | 75° | 50" | 158" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
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 Inlet averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
A bigger 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 Inlet compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Inlet’s place among New York’s.
Inlet weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Inlet’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Old Forge, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 5° | 4.0" | 46.7" | 19 | 4° – 24° |
| February | 28° | 6° | 3.1" | 30.9" | 15 | 3° – 25° |
| March | 36° | 14° | 3.3" | 22.6" | 14 | 16° – 36° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 4.0" | 5.3" | 13 | 31° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 39° | 4.3" | 0.5" | 14 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 75° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 59° – 66° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 4.8" | 2.2" | 14 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 24° | 4.1" | 14.9" | 16 | 27° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 4.1" | 34.8" | 18 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 49.7" | 157.9" | 172 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Inlet’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 Inlet’s center.
- Snow: Old Forge, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Moose 3 Se, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Inlet’s climate
What is the weather like in Inlet?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 158 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Inlet in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Inlet get?
About 158 inches in a normal winter at Old Forge, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Inlet?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Big Moose 3 Se, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Inlet?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 127 frost-free days, at Big Moose 3 Se, NY.
What growing zone is Inlet in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Inlet?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Inlet getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Inlet.
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.