Photo: JayHeritageCenter · CC BY-SA 4.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Rye sits near the middle of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 25°. Temperatures cover 60° across the year, low to high. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 69% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 12; autumn frost returns near October 31.
A year in Rye at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rye’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rye’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Rye feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Westchester Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rye’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rye
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Westchester Co Airport.
Living with Rye’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rye from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rye and its neighbors
Greenwich has the coldest January nights next door (23°, 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 Rye’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye, NY | 25° | 85° | 47" | 33" |
| Damascus, MD | 25° | 85° | 45" | 31" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Oakbrook, KY | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| New Freedom, PA | 21° | 84° | 48" | 29" |
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 Rye averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 96% 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 Rye compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rye’s place among New York’s.
Rye weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rye’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 25° | 3.3" | 9.4" | 11 | 13 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 26° | 2.8" | 10.9" | 9 | 13 | 22° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 33° | 4.0" | 5.8" | 11 | 7 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 76° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 54° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 31° | 4.0" | 5.6" | 11 | 7 | 31° – 49° |
| Year | 63° | 46° | 46.9" | 32.7" | 124 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rye’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 Rye’s center.
- Snow: Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Westchester Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher; 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 Rye’s climate
What is the weather like in Rye?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rye in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Rye get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rye?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 68°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Westchester Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Rye?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 200 frost-free days, at Westchester Co Airport.
What growing zone is Rye in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rye?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rye getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rye.
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.