Lyon Mountain gets about 107 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 74°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about May 6; in half of years the first frost comes by October 11.
A year in Lyon Mountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lyon Mountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lyon Mountain’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Lyon Mountain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from Dannemora, NY, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lyon Mountain’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 107 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ellenburg Depot, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lyon Mountain
95% 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 Dannemora, NY.
Living with Lyon Mountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lyon Mountain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lyon Mountain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lyon Mountain yet.
Climates most like Lyon Mountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon Mountain, NY | 5° | 74° | 45" | 107" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lyon Mountain averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Lyon Mountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lyon Mountain’s place among New York’s.
Lyon Mountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lyon Mountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ellenburg Depot, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 5° | 3.0" | 21.4" | 14 | 28 | 0° – 23° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 2.6" | 23.1" | 11 | 25 | 2° – 23° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 3.0" | 19.0" | 12 | 21 | 15° – 36° |
| April | 48° | 28° | 3.6" | 9.8" | 12 | 5 | 32° – 44° |
| May | 62° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 70° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| July | 74° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| August | 72° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 65° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 52° | 35° | 4.8" | 1.8" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 39° | 24° | 3.2" | 8.0" | 13 | 7 | 26° – 38° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 3.3" | 23.5" | 15 | 23 | 13° – 32° |
| Year | 50° | 31° | 45.2" | 107.1" | 155 | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 23°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lyon Mountain’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 Lyon Mountain’s center.
- Snow: Ellenburg Depot, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dannemora, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 740 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Lyon Mountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Lyon Mountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 107 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 170 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 167 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lyon Mountain in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Lyon Mountain get?
About 107 inches in a normal winter at Ellenburg Depot, NY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lyon Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Dannemora, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Lyon Mountain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 157 frost-free days, at Dannemora, NY.
What growing zone is Lyon Mountain in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lyon Mountain?
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 Lyon Mountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lyon Mountain.
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.