Panama gets about 225 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 5 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 225 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Panama at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Panama’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Panama’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Panama feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chandlers Valley 1se, PA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Panama’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 225 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sherman, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 160 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Panama
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 Chandlers Valley 1se, PA.
Living with Panama’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Panama from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Panama and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Panama in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Panama’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama, NY | 16° | 79° | 46" | 225" |
| Truckee, CA | 19° | 82° | 35" | 183" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
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 Panama averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Panama compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Panama’s place among New York’s.
Panama weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Panama’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sherman, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 3.5" | 61.7" | 21 | 27 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 2.6" | 36.0" | 15 | 24 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 3.1" | 37.5" | 15 | 19 | 25° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.8" | 7.7" | 13 | 4 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 4.5" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 31° | 3.8" | 26.6" | 14 | 10 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 3.9" | 52.9" | 17 | 21 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 46.2" | 224.5" | 160 | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Panama’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 Panama’s center.
- Snow: Sherman, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chandlers Valley 1se, PA, 14 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 Panama’s climate
What is the weather like in Panama?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 225 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Panama in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 173 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 15°.
How much snow does Panama get?
About 225 inches in a normal winter at Sherman, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 106 days a year.
How hot does it get in Panama?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Chandlers Valley 1se, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Panama?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 131 frost-free days, at Chandlers Valley 1se, PA.
What growing zone is Panama 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 Panama?
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 Panama getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Panama.
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.