Photo: RochesterNY · Public domainJuly in Seneca Falls stays fresher than in 83% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 18°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in February. Its January nights bite harder than in 72% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 30 to October 21.
A year in Seneca Falls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Seneca Falls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Seneca Falls’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Seneca Falls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Geneva Rsch Farm, NY, 12 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Seneca Falls’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Seneca Falls
94% 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 Geneva Rsch Farm, NY.
Living with Seneca Falls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Seneca Falls from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Seneca Falls and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Seneca Falls in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Seneca Falls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Falls, NY | 18° | 82° | 38" | 56" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Ionia, MI | 16° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
| Shelby, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 49" |
| Park City, IL | 16° | 82° | 37" | 43" |
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 Seneca Falls averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Seneca Falls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Seneca Falls’ place among New York’s.
Seneca Falls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Seneca Falls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aurora Rsch Farm, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 18° | 2.4" | 15.0" | 14 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 2.0" | 12.7" | 11 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 2.6" | 11.8" | 13 | 26° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.1" | 2.1" | 14 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.2" | 15 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.9" | 3.8" | 13 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 25° | 2.9" | 10.5" | 14 | 23° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 37.5" | 56.2" | 156 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Seneca Falls’ 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 Seneca Falls’ center.
- Snow: Aurora Rsch Farm, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Geneva Rsch Farm, NY, 12 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Seneca Falls’ climate
What is the weather like in Seneca Falls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Seneca Falls in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Seneca Falls get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Seneca Falls?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Geneva Rsch Farm, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Seneca Falls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 173 frost-free days, at Geneva Rsch Farm, NY.
What growing zone is Seneca Falls in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Seneca Falls?
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 Seneca Falls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Seneca Falls.
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.