Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives softly in Silver Creek, cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 19°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 64% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in December. Garden planting can start around May 5; autumn frost returns near October 20.
A year in Silver Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Silver Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Silver Creek’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Silver Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Silver Creek’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 76 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fredonia, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Silver Creek
92% 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 Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport.
Living with Silver Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Silver Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Silver Creek and its neighbors
Hanover has the coldest January nights next door (17°, 3° 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 Silver Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Creek, NY | 19° | 80° | 39" | 76" |
| St. Joseph, MI | 20° | 82° | 38" | 78" |
| Bay Village, OH | 23° | 81° | 38" | 64" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 Silver Creek averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Silver Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Silver Creek’s place among New York’s.
Silver Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Silver Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fredonia, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 2.8" | 26.7" | 14 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 2.2" | 13.0" | 11 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.5" | 11.6" | 11 | 27° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.1" | 1.4" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 34° | 3.3" | 5.4" | 10 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 39° | 26° | 3.4" | 17.3" | 12 | 23° – 42° |
| Year | 57° | 41° | 39.0" | 75.6" | 120 |
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 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Silver Creek’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 Silver Creek’s center.
- Snow: Fredonia, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, 6 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 Silver Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Silver Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Silver Creek in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Silver Creek get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter at Fredonia, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Silver Creek?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 62°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Silver Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 167 frost-free days, at Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport.
What growing zone is Silver Creek in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Silver Creek?
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 Silver Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Silver Creek.
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.