Photo: Ken Winters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domainSummers in Sunset Bay are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 20° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 64% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Sunset Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sunset Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sunset Bay’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Sunset Bay 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, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sunset Bay’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 Sunset Bay
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 Sunset Bay’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. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sunset Bay 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 →Sunset Bay 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 Sunset Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Bay, NY | 20° | 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 Sunset Bay averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Sunset Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sunset Bay’s place among New York’s.
Sunset Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sunset Bay’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 | 34° | 20° | 2.8" | 26.7" | 14 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 2.1" | 13.0" | 11 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.5" | 11.6" | 11 | 27° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 75° |
| 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° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 41° | 38.9" | 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 11° to 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sunset Bay’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 Sunset Bay’s center.
- Snow: Fredonia, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, 9 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 Sunset Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Sunset Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 20°, 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 Sunset Bay in winter?
January nights average 20°. 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 Sunset Bay get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter at Fredonia, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Sunset Bay?
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 Sunset Bay?
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 Sunset Bay 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 Sunset Bay?
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 Sunset Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sunset Bay.
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.