Midwinter lows in Palenville sink below those of 82% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 72% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 29, with the first autumn frost due around October 14.
A year in Palenville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palenville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palenville’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Palenville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cairo 3 Nw, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palenville’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Palenville
91% 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 Cairo 3 Nw, NY.
Living with Palenville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 8.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palenville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palenville and its neighbors
Hunter has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 3° colder) and Saugerties the hottest July afternoons (85°, 2° 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 Palenville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palenville, NY | 16° | 83° | 47" | 31" |
| Barrington, NH | 14° | 82° | 47" | 39" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Berwick, ME | 13° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
| Peabody, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 39" |
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 Palenville averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Palenville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palenville’s place among New York’s.
Palenville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palenville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hudson Correctional Facility, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 16° | 3.2" | 8.2" | 8 | 5 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 18° | 2.8" | 8.5" | 8 | 9 | 14° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.7" | 4.4" | 8 | 5 | 28° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 4.1" | 9.1" | 9 | 6 | 24° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 47.0" | 31.0" | 116 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Palenville’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 Palenville’s center.
- Snow: Hudson Correctional Facility, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cairo 3 Nw, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Palenville’s climate
What is the weather like in Palenville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palenville in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Palenville get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Palenville?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Cairo 3 Nw, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Palenville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 169 frost-free days, at Cairo 3 Nw, NY.
What growing zone is Palenville in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Palenville?
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 Palenville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palenville.
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.