Summers in Odessa are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 15°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Odessa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Odessa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Odessa’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Odessa 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 10 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mecklenburg 4sw, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Odessa’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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Odessa
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 Mecklenburg 4sw, NY.
Living with Odessa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 Odessa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Odessa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Odessa yet.
Climates most like Odessa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa, NY | 15° | 80° | 36" | 63" |
| Big Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 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 Odessa averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Odessa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Odessa’s place among New York’s.
Odessa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Odessa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 2.1" | 16.6" | 16 | 21 | 14° – 31° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 1.8" | 14.5" | 13 | 20 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 2.5" | 12.0" | 14 | 13 | 26° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.1" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.5" | 4.6" | 14 | 4 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 2.5" | 12.2" | 16 | 14 | 21° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 36.1" | 62.9" | 166 | 73 |
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 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Odessa’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 Odessa’s center.
- Snow: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mecklenburg 4sw, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Odessa’s climate
What is the weather like in Odessa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Odessa in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Odessa get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Odessa?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mecklenburg 4sw, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Odessa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 150 frost-free days, at Mecklenburg 4sw, NY.
What growing zone is Odessa 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 Odessa?
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 Odessa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Odessa.
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.