Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Afternoon heat in Montauk trails that of 93% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 24°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 55°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 61% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Montauk at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Montauk’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Montauk’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Montauk feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Montauk Airport, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Montauk’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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bridgehampton, NY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Montauk
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Montauk Airport.
Living with Montauk’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 90 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Montauk from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Montauk and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Montauk yet.
Climates most like Montauk’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montauk, NY | 24° | 80° | 44" | 27" |
| Princeton, WV | 23° | 82° | 41" | 24" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
| Greensburg, PA | 21° | 83° | 44" | 30" |
| Huron, OH | 22° | 82° | 37" | 33" |
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 Montauk averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Montauk compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Montauk’s place among New York’s.
Montauk weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Montauk’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bridgehampton, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 24° | 3.4" | 7.2" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 25° | 3.0" | 8.6" | 10 | 7 | 20° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 31° | 4.3" | 6.0" | 10 | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.8" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| May | 65° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 65° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.2" | 4.1" | 11 | 4 | 31° – 48° |
| Year | 60° | 44° | 43.8" | 26.8" | 114 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Montauk’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 Montauk’s center.
- Snow: Bridgehampton, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Montauk Airport, 2.1 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 Montauk’s climate
What is the weather like in Montauk?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Montauk in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Montauk get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Bridgehampton, NY, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Montauk?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 65°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Montauk Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Montauk?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 222 frost-free days, at Montauk Airport.
What growing zone is Montauk 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 Montauk?
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 Montauk getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Montauk.
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.