Germania Wine Cellars · Photo: Pubdog · Public domainSummer arrives softly in Urbana, cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 15°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 69–81°.
A year in Urbana at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Urbana’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Urbana’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Urbana feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bath, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Urbana’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Addison, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Urbana
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 Bath, NY.
Living with Urbana’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Urbana from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Urbana and its neighbors
Prattsburgh has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 2° 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 Urbana’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urbana, NY | 15° | 81° | 36" | 48" |
| Oak Creek, WI | 16° | 81° | 34" | 49" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
| Haslett, MI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 46" |
| Asbury, IA | 11° | 83° | 38" | 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 Urbana averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Urbana compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Urbana’s place among New York’s.
Urbana weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Urbana’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Addison, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 15° | 2.1" | 13.3" | 14 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 1.7" | 11.8" | 11 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.4" | 9.6" | 14 | 26° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 14 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 15 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 15 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 2.1" | 14 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 2.4" | 10.0" | 15 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 35.9" | 48.2" | 161 |
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 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Urbana’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 Urbana’s center.
- Snow: Addison, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bath, NY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 340 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 Urbana’s climate
What is the weather like in Urbana?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Urbana in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Urbana get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Addison, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Urbana?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Bath, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Urbana?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 144 frost-free days, at Bath, NY.
What growing zone is Urbana in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Urbana?
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 Urbana getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Urbana.
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.