Summers in Madison are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 13°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 67–79°.
A year in Madison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madison’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Madison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Morrisville 6 Sw, NY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madison’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 77 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sherburne, NY, is heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month. 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 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madison
96% 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 Morrisville 6 Sw, NY.
Living with Madison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Madison from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madison and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Madison yet.
Climates most like Madison’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, NY | 13° | 79° | 45" | 77" |
| Bucksport, ME | 10° | 79° | 46" | 75" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Fairfax, VT | 9° | 80° | 43" | 80" |
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 Madison averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Madison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madison’s place among New York’s.
Madison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sherburne, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 13° | 3.0" | 18.7" | 18 | 22 | 10° – 29° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 2.5" | 18.8" | 14 | 21 | 9° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 3.1" | 14.6" | 15 | 15 | 23° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 3.7" | 2.5" | 15 | 2 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 3.4" | 6.1" | 15 | 5 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 3.5" | 15.9" | 17 | 16 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 44.5" | 77.1" | 176 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Madison’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 Madison’s center.
- Snow: Sherburne, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Morrisville 6 Sw, NY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 480 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 Madison’s climate
What is the weather like in Madison?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madison in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Madison get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter at Sherburne, NY, heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madison?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Morrisville 6 Sw, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Madison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 156 frost-free days, at Morrisville 6 Sw, NY.
What growing zone is Madison in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Madison?
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 Madison getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Madison.
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.