For weather, New Paltz is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
Midwinter brings lows of about 18°. Temperatures cover 67° across the year, low to high. In January, nights here are colder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 21; autumn frost returns near October 21.
A year in New Paltz at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Paltz’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Paltz’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in New Paltz feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Poughkeepsie, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Paltz’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mohonk Lake, NY, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 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 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New Paltz
89% 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 Poughkeepsie, NY.
Living with New Paltz’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New Paltz from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Paltz and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around New Paltz yet.
Climates most like New Paltz’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Paltz, NY | 18° | 84° | 46" | 59" |
| Bedford, MA | 17° | 84° | 47" | 59" |
| Salem, NH | 16° | 84° | 46" | 58" |
| Franklin, PA | 19° | 83° | 45" | 54" |
| Cortland, OH | 18° | 83° | 43" | 68" |
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 New Paltz averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 New Paltz compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Paltz’s place among New York’s.
New Paltz weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Paltz’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mohonk Lake, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 3.1" | 14.6" | 11 | 21 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 2.7" | 14.6" | 9 | 21 | 16° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 3.5" | 12.4" | 11 | 17 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.8" | 11 | 2 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.4" | 2.8" | 10 | 3 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 3.8" | 12.9" | 11 | 14 | 25° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 45.5" | 59.2" | 133 | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where New Paltz’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 New Paltz’s center.
- Snow: Mohonk Lake, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Poughkeepsie, NY, 8 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 New Paltz’s climate
What is the weather like in New Paltz?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Paltz in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does New Paltz get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Mohonk Lake, NY, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 78 days a year.
How hot does it get in New Paltz?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Poughkeepsie, NY).
When is the first and last frost in New Paltz?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 183 frost-free days, at Poughkeepsie, NY.
What growing zone is New Paltz in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit New Paltz?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is New Paltz getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Paltz.
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.