North Hornell has cooler summers than 85% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 15°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 66° apart. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 84% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 70–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in North Hornell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Hornell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Hornell’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in North Hornell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Hornell’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 172 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Hornell
96% 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 Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
Living with North Hornell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 8.
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 North Hornell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Hornell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North Hornell yet.
Climates most like North Hornell’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 Hornell, NY | 15° | 81° | 35" | 62" |
| Big Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| Mequon, WI | 14° | 82° | 34" | 54" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
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 North Hornell averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Hornell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Hornell’s place among New York’s.
North Hornell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Hornell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hornell Almond Dam, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 2.1" | 16.4" | 18 | 24 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 1.8" | 13.9" | 14 | 21 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 22° | 2.3" | 11.6" | 15 | 17 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 2.9" | 2.3" | 15 | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 70° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 3.5" | 14 | 5 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 2.3" | 14.0" | 17 | 17 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 35.2" | 62.1" | 172 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where North Hornell’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 Hornell’s center.
- Snow: Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Hornell’s climate
What is the weather like in North Hornell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Hornell in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does North Hornell get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Hornell Almond Dam, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Hornell?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Hornell Almond Dam, NY).
When is the first and last frost in North Hornell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 150 frost-free days, at Hornell Almond Dam, NY.
What growing zone is North Hornell in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Hornell?
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 Hornell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Hornell.
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.