Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Vassar College sits near the middle of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 18°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 69% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.1° higher. Long walks are most pleasant from May to June and August to October, when afternoons reach 64–83°.
A year in Vassar College at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vassar College’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vassar College’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Vassar College feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Poughkeepsie, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vassar College’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 58 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stormville, NY, is heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vassar College
89% 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 Poughkeepsie, NY.
Living with Vassar College’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vassar College from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vassar College and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Vassar College in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Vassar College’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar College, NY | 18° | 85° | 44" | 58" |
| Salem, NH | 16° | 84° | 46" | 58" |
| Methuen, MA | 16° | 83° | 46" | 58" |
| Franklin, PA | 19° | 83° | 45" | 54" |
| Youngstown, OH | 19° | 84° | 41" | 68" |
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 Vassar College averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Vassar College compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vassar College’s place among New York’s.
Vassar College weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vassar College’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stormville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.0" | 14.3" | 13 | 19 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 2.5" | 12.9" | 10 | 17 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 3.2" | 14.3" | 13 | 14 | 32° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.4" | 3.1" | 13 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 3.3" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 3.6" | 11.2" | 11 | 11 | 25° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 43.8" | 57.9" | 134 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Vassar College’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 Vassar College’s center.
- Snow: Stormville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Poughkeepsie, NY, 3 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 Vassar College’s climate
What is the weather like in Vassar College?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vassar College in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 135 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 17°.
How much snow does Vassar College get?
About 58 inches in a normal winter at Stormville, NY, heaviest from January through March, about 14 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vassar College?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Poughkeepsie, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Vassar College?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 183 frost-free days, at Poughkeepsie, NY.
What growing zone is Vassar College in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vassar College?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vassar College getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vassar College.
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.