Jonathan Wallace House · Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0Potsdam sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. Only 72° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 92% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 9 to September 30.
A year in Potsdam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Potsdam’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Potsdam’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Potsdam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Canton 4 Se, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Potsdam’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 77 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Canton 4 Se, NY, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 147 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Potsdam
95% 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 Canton 4 Se, NY.
Living with Potsdam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 9 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. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Potsdam from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Potsdam and its neighbors
Parishville has the coldest January nights next door (6°, 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 Potsdam’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potsdam, NY | 8° | 80° | 38" | 77" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| Old Town, ME | 9° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
| Cadillac, MI | 12° | 80° | 35" | 74" |
| Kronenwetter, WI | 6° | 80° | 34" | 64" |
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 Potsdam averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Potsdam compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Potsdam’s place among New York’s.
Potsdam weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Potsdam’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Canton 4 Se, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 2.5" | 18.9" | 13 | 25 | 2° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 2.0" | 17.5" | 11 | 24 | 4° – 27° |
| March | 39° | 19° | 2.4" | 12.5" | 11 | 17 | 20° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.1" | 3.5" | 12 | 2 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 3.0" | 5.1" | 12 | 5 | 31° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 2.7" | 19.6" | 14 | 18 | 16° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 38.3" | 77.3" | 147 | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Potsdam’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 Potsdam’s center.
- Snow: Canton 4 Se, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canton 4 Se, NY, 8 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 Potsdam’s climate
What is the weather like in Potsdam?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Potsdam in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Potsdam get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter at Canton 4 Se, NY, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Potsdam?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Canton 4 Se, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Potsdam?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 142 frost-free days, at Canton 4 Se, NY.
What growing zone is Potsdam in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Potsdam?
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 Potsdam getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Potsdam.
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.