Photo: Sullynyflhi · Public domainMerrick’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Merrick at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Merrick’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Merrick’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Merrick feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Merrick’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oceanside, NY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; March is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Merrick
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY.
Living with Merrick’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Merrick from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Merrick and its neighbors
Roosevelt has the coldest January nights next door (26°, 1° colder) and Roosevelt the hottest July afternoons (85°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Merrick’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick, NY | 27° | 84° | 45" | 26" |
| Blacksburg, VA | 25° | 84° | 43" | 25" |
| Fairmont, WV | 23° | 84° | 46" | 24" |
| Damascus, MD | 25° | 85° | 45" | 31" |
| Wellston, OH | 23° | 85° | 44" | 23" |
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 Merrick averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Merrick compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Merrick’s place among New York’s.
Merrick weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Merrick’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oceanside, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 27° | 3.3" | 5.7" | 14 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 28° | 3.0" | 7.6" | 11 | 24° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 34° | 4.3" | 4.8" | 14 | 37° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 42° | 3.8" | 1.0" | 13 | 47° – 55° |
| May | 69° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 84° | 68° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 76° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 13 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 46° | 32° | 4.2" | 6.2" | 14 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 62° | 47° | 44.9" | 25.5" | 152 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Merrick’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 Merrick’s center.
- Snow: Oceanside, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY, 2.4 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 Merrick’s climate
What is the weather like in Merrick?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Merrick in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Merrick get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Oceanside, NY, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Merrick?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 68°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Merrick?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 221 frost-free days, at Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY.
What growing zone is Merrick in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Merrick?
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 Merrick getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Merrick.
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.