Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake Carmel gets more rain and snow than 75% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 83°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 69% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.9° rise. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Lake Carmel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Carmel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Carmel’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Lake Carmel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 25. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carmel 4n, NY, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Stormville, NY, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Carmel’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 58 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stormville, NY, is heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Carmel
89% 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 Stormville, NY.
Living with Lake Carmel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Carmel from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Carmel and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lake Carmel in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake Carmel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Carmel, NY | 18° | 83° | 48" | 58" |
| Reading, MA | 18° | 83° | 47" | 64" |
| Plaistow, NH | 16° | 83° | 47" | 58" |
| Oil City, PA | 18° | 83° | 45" | 54" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 82° | 50" | 69" |
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 Lake Carmel averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Lake Carmel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Carmel’s place among New York’s.
Lake Carmel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Carmel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stormville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.4" | 14.3" | 13 | 19 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 2.8" | 12.9" | 10 | 17 | 16° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 3.9" | 14.3" | 13 | 14 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.9" | 3.1" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 3.7" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 4.1" | 11.2" | 11 | 11 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 47.9" | 57.9" | 134 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lake Carmel’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 Lake Carmel’s center.
- Snow: Stormville, NY.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Stormville, NY, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Carmel 4n, NY, 1.8 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 Lake Carmel’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Carmel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Carmel in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 137 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Lake Carmel get?
About 58 inches in a normal winter at Stormville, NY, heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Carmel?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Stormville, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Carmel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 185 frost-free days, at Stormville, NY.
What growing zone is Lake Carmel in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Carmel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Carmel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Carmel.
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.