Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers in North East are cooler than in 86% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 15°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 66°. Its January nights bite harder than in 85% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 68–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in North East at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North East’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North East’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in North East feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Falls Village, CT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts North East’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Copake, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September 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 North East
92% 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 Falls Village, CT.
Living with North East’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North East from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North East and its neighbors
Pine Plains the hottest July afternoons (84°, 3° 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 North East’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East, NY | 15° | 81° | 46" | 50" |
| Eliot, ME | 15° | 81° | 48" | 56" |
| St. Marys, PA | 16° | 80° | 46" | 53" |
| Exeter, NH | 16° | 82° | 47" | 57" |
| Salisbury, MA | 18° | 81° | 48" | 62" |
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 North East averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 North East compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North East’s place among New York’s.
North East weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North East’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Copake, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3.2" | 15.5" | 12 | 14° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 17° | 2.6" | 10.0" | 9 | 13° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 3.4" | 10.0" | 12 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.5" | 1.8" | 12 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.4" | 1.8" | 11 | 35° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 3.8" | 10.5" | 11 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 46.4" | 49.6" | 133 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where North East’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 North East’s center.
- Snow: Copake, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Falls Village, CT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower; 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 North East’s climate
What is the weather like in North East?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North East in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does North East get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Copake, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in North East?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Falls Village, CT).
When is the first and last frost in North East?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 146 frost-free days, at Falls Village, CT.
What growing zone is North East in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit North East?
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 North East getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North East.
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.