Photo: JBC3 · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Stony Creek
In January the night’s low is typically 8°. Only 67° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 95% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 64–76°.
A year in Stony Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stony Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stony Creek’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Stony Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from Conklingville Dam, NY, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stony Creek’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Conklingville Dam, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stony Creek
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Conklingville Dam, NY.
Living with Stony Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stony Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stony Creek and its neighbors
Warrensburg the hottest July afternoons (80°, 5° 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 Stony 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Creek, NY | 8° | 76° | 50" | 60" |
| Belfast, ME | 12° | 76° | 48" | 72" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
| Rockport, MA | 20° | 79° | 48" | 51" |
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 Stony Creek averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Stony Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stony Creek’s place among New York’s.
Stony Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stony Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Conklingville Dam, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 8° | 3.8" | 15.8" | 12 | 5° – 26° |
| February | 30° | 10° | 3.2" | 13.2" | 9 | 6° – 27° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 3.9" | 14.0" | 11 | 19° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 4.2" | 2.0" | 10 | 35° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 41° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 12 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 47° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 4.0" | 3.1" | 9 | 29° – 39° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 4.3" | 11.9" | 12 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 49.7" | 60.3" | 123 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Stony 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 Stony Creek’s center.
- Snow: Conklingville Dam, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Conklingville Dam, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 840 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Stony Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Stony Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stony Creek in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Stony Creek get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Conklingville Dam, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Stony Creek?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Conklingville Dam, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Stony Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 169 frost-free days, at Conklingville Dam, NY.
What growing zone is Stony Creek in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stony 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 Stony Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stony 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.