Photo: The original uploader was Phmalo at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5Skaneateles gets about 106 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 80°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in February. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 2, with the first autumn frost due around October 18.
A year in Skaneateles at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Skaneateles’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Skaneateles’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Skaneateles feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Auburn, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Skaneateles’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 106 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Skaneateles, NY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 187 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Skaneateles
93% 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 Auburn, NY.
Living with Skaneateles’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 18.
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 Skaneateles from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Skaneateles and its neighbors
Spafford has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 2° colder) and Elbridge the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Skaneateles’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skaneateles, NY | 15° | 80° | 43" | 106" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Williston, VT | 10° | 80° | 41" | 86" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 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 Skaneateles averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Skaneateles compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Skaneateles’ place among New York’s.
Skaneateles weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Skaneateles’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Skaneateles, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 2.8" | 19.5" | 20 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 2.4" | 27.4" | 16 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 41° | 24° | 3.1" | 22.1" | 16 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 34° | 3.6" | 3.2" | 15 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 17 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 3.5" | 9.6" | 17 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 3.3" | 23.8" | 19 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 38° | 42.5" | 105.7" | 187 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Skaneateles’ 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 Skaneateles’ center.
- Snow: Skaneateles, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Auburn, NY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Skaneateles’ climate
What is the weather like in Skaneateles?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 106 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Skaneateles in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Skaneateles get?
About 106 inches in a normal winter at Skaneateles, NY, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Skaneateles?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Auburn, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Skaneateles?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 166 frost-free days, at Auburn, NY.
What growing zone is Skaneateles in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Skaneateles?
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 Skaneateles getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Skaneateles.
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.