Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0Ithaca’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ithaca at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ithaca’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ithaca’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Ithaca feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ithaca’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ithaca
95% 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 Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
Living with Ithaca’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ithaca from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ithaca and its neighbors
Danby has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ithaca’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | 16° | 81° | 38" | 63" |
| Big Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | 13° | 82° | 35" | 54" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
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 Ithaca averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°).
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 Ithaca compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ithaca’s place among New York’s.
Ithaca weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ithaca’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.2" | 16.6" | 16 | 21 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 1.9" | 14.5" | 13 | 20 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.8" | 12.0" | 14 | 13 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.2" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.8" | 4.6" | 14 | 4 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.6" | 12.2" | 16 | 14 | 22° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 37.8" | 62.9" | 166 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ithaca’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 Ithaca’s center.
- Snow: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ithaca Cornell Univ, 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 Ithaca’s climate
What is the weather like in Ithaca?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ithaca in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Ithaca get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ithaca?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Ithaca?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 145 frost-free days, at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
What growing zone is Ithaca in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ithaca?
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 Ithaca 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 Ithaca.
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.