Photo: Doc Searls · CC BY 2.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Sands Point sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 59°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 69% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to June and August to October brings highs of 65–83°.
A year in Sands Point at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sands Point’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sands Point’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Sands Point feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at LaGuardia Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sands Point’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mineola, NY, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; December is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sands Point
76% of the work is heating. 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 LaGuardia Airport.
Living with Sands Point’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sands Point from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sands Point and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sands Point in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sands Point’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sands Point, NY | 26° | 85° | 47" | 19" |
| Cloverly, MD | 25° | 86° | 46" | 16" |
| Oakbrook, KY | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Asheville, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Withamsville, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 16" |
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 Sands Point 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 Sands Point compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sands Point’s place among New York’s.
Sands Point weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sands Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mineola, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 26° | 3.4" | 2.9" | 11 | 24° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 27° | 2.9" | 6.2" | 10 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 34° | 4.2" | 3.1" | 11 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 70° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 76° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 65° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 55° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 9 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 45° | 32° | 4.3" | 5.7" | 11 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 63° | 47° | 46.8" | 18.5" | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sands Point’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 Sands Point’s center.
- Snow: Mineola, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: LaGuardia Airport, 11 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 Sands Point’s climate
What is the weather like in Sands Point?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sands Point in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 62 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Sands Point get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Mineola, NY, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Sands Point?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 68°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (LaGuardia Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Sands Point?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 244 frost-free days, at LaGuardia Airport.
What growing zone is Sands Point in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sands Point?
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 Sands Point 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 Sands Point.
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.