Afternoon heat in Morris trails that of 92% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 13°. Temperatures cover 67° across the year, low to high. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 68–80°.
A year in Morris at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morris’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morris’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Morris feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Emmons, NY, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morris’ 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
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 46 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 Morris
97% 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 Emmons, NY.
Living with Morris’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 3.
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 Morris from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morris and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Morris yet.
Climates most like Morris’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris, NY | 13° | 80° | 46" | 77" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Cumberland, ME | 13° | 80° | 49" | 84" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
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 Morris averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Morris compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morris’ place among New York’s.
Morris weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morris’ 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 | 31° | 13° | 3.0" | 18.7" | 18 | 22 | 12° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 2.6" | 18.8" | 14 | 21 | 10° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 3.4" | 14.6" | 15 | 15 | 24° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.8" | 2.5" | 15 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.4" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.3" | 6.1" | 15 | 5 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 3.5" | 15.9" | 17 | 16 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 45.5" | 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 10° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Morris’ 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 Morris’ center.
- Snow: Sherburne, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Emmons, NY, 13 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 Morris’ climate
What is the weather like in Morris?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morris in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Morris 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 Morris?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Emmons, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Morris?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 141 frost-free days, at Emmons, NY.
What growing zone is Morris 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 Morris?
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 Morris getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morris.
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.