Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Oswego gets about 140 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 76 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 79° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 65–79°.
A year in Oswego at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oswego’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oswego’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Oswego feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oswego, NY, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oswego’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 140 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oswego, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; October 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 Oswego
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 Oswego, NY.
Living with Oswego’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oswego from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oswego and its neighbors
Scriba has the coldest January nights next door (16°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Oswego’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswego, NY | 17° | 79° | 42" | 140" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
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 Oswego averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Oswego compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oswego’s place among New York’s.
Oswego weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oswego’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oswego, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 17° | 3.4" | 44.7" | 20 | 24 | 12° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 18° | 2.6" | 35.3" | 16 | 24 | 12° – 33° |
| March | 41° | 26° | 2.8" | 17.1" | 15 | 17 | 26° – 45° |
| April | 53° | 36° | 3.4" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 65° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 75° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 79° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 71° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 34° | 3.9" | 9.4" | 16 | 5 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 3.7" | 30.6" | 19 | 17 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 56° | 40° | 41.8" | 140.1" | 172 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Oswego’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 Oswego’s center.
- Snow: Oswego, NY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oswego, NY, 1.7 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 Oswego’s climate
What is the weather like in Oswego?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 140 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oswego in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Oswego get?
About 140 inches in a normal winter at Oswego, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oswego?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 62°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Oswego, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Oswego?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 187 frost-free days, at Oswego, NY.
What growing zone is Oswego in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oswego?
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 Oswego getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oswego.
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.