Photo: Phmalo · CC BY-SA 2.5Otisco gets about 117 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 148 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 79°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in February. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Otisco at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Otisco’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Otisco’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Otisco feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Freeville 1 Ne, NY, 24 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Otisco’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 117 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, is heaviest from January through March, about 25 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 192 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Otisco
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 Freeville 1 Ne, NY.
Living with Otisco’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Otisco from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Otisco and its neighbors
Onondaga the hottest July afternoons (80°, 1° 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 Otisco’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otisco, NY | 14° | 79° | 44" | 117" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
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 Otisco 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 Otisco compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Otisco’s place among New York’s.
Otisco weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Otisco’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tully Heiberg Forest, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 3.0" | 25.2" | 20 | 28 | 11° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 2.6" | 24.8" | 15 | 28 | 9° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 3.2" | 25.4" | 17 | 26 | 23° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.6" | 7.5" | 16 | 9 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.5" | 16 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 4.4" | 1.6" | 17 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 31° | 3.5" | 11.2" | 17 | 10 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.5" | 21.1" | 19 | 23 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 55° | 37° | 44.4" | 117.3" | 192 | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Otisco’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 Otisco’s center.
- Snow: Tully Heiberg Forest, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Freeville 1 Ne, NY, 24 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Otisco’s climate
What is the weather like in Otisco?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 117 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Otisco in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Otisco get?
About 117 inches in a normal winter at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, heaviest from January through March, about 25 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Otisco?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Freeville 1 Ne, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Otisco?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Freeville 1 Ne, NY.
What growing zone is Otisco in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Otisco?
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 Otisco 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 Otisco.
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.