Salamanca gets about 133 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 93 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–80°.
A year in Salamanca at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salamanca’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salamanca’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Salamanca feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 9. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Salamanca 2, NY, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Allegany Sp, NY, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salamanca’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 133 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Little Valley, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 180 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Salamanca
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 Allegany Sp, NY.
Living with Salamanca’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salamanca from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Salamanca and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Salamanca in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Salamanca’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanca, NY | 15° | 80° | 47" | 133" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Beachwood, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 114" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 79° | 49" | 84" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
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 Salamanca averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Salamanca compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salamanca’s place among New York’s.
Salamanca weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salamanca’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Little Valley, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.5" | 36.1" | 20 | 27 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 2.5" | 25.9" | 15 | 24 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 3.1" | 18.9" | 15 | 19 | 24° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.8" | 4.0" | 15 | 4 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 4.3" | 1.0" | 15 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 3.7" | 16.3" | 16 | 9 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 3.8" | 31.1" | 20 | 22 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 46.5" | 133.3" | 180 | 105 |
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 Salamanca’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 Salamanca’s center.
- Snow: Little Valley, NY.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Allegany Sp, NY, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Salamanca 2, NY, 0.9 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 Salamanca’s climate
What is the weather like in Salamanca?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 133 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salamanca in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Salamanca get?
About 133 inches in a normal winter at Little Valley, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Salamanca?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Allegany Sp, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Salamanca?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 150 frost-free days, at Allegany Sp, NY.
What growing zone is Salamanca in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Salamanca?
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 Salamanca getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salamanca.
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.