Lewiston has cooler summers than 85% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 20°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–81°.
A year in Lewiston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lewiston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lewiston’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Lewiston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Niagara Falls, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lewiston’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 72 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Niagara Falls, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 158 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lewiston
90% 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 Niagara Falls, NY.
Living with Lewiston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lewiston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lewiston and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lewiston in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lewiston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston, NY | 20° | 81° | 34" | 72" |
| St. Joseph, MI | 20° | 82° | 38" | 78" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Sheffield Lake, OH | 22° | 81° | 38" | 64" |
| Sandpoint, ID | 23° | 83° | 31" | 62" |
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 Lewiston averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
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 Lewiston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lewiston’s place among New York’s.
Lewiston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lewiston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Niagara Falls, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 20° | 2.3" | 22.3" | 18 | 19 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 34° | 20° | 1.9" | 16.3" | 15 | 17 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 42° | 27° | 2.3" | 11.6" | 13 | 11 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.2" | 2.2" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 81° | 63° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 62° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 35° | 2.7" | 4.1" | 13 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 2.5" | 15.7" | 16 | 11 | 22° – 43° |
| Year | 57° | 41° | 33.9" | 72.4" | 158 | 60 |
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 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lewiston’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 Lewiston’s center.
- Snow: Niagara Falls, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Niagara Falls, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher; 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 Lewiston’s climate
What is the weather like in Lewiston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 72 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lewiston in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Lewiston get?
About 72 inches in a normal winter at Niagara Falls, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lewiston?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 63°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Niagara Falls, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Lewiston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 179 frost-free days, at Niagara Falls, NY.
What growing zone is Lewiston in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lewiston?
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 Lewiston 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 Lewiston.
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.