Wayland’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Wayland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wayland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wayland’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Wayland 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 2 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hemlock, NY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wayland’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dansville, NY, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. 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 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wayland
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 Hemlock, NY.
Living with Wayland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wayland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wayland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wayland yet.
Climates most like Wayland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayland, NY | 16° | 80° | 36" | 36" |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | 16° | 80° | 34" | 40" |
| Winthrop Harbor, IL | 17° | 81° | 36" | 36" |
| Port Huron, MI | 19° | 81° | 35" | 36" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wayland averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Wayland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wayland’s place among New York’s.
Wayland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wayland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dansville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.1" | 9.5" | 13 | 13° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 1.8" | 10.2" | 10 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.4" | 6.6" | 12 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.7" | 1.9" | 11 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 2.5" | 7.2" | 13 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 35.5" | 35.6" | 142 |
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 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wayland’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 Wayland’s center.
- Snow: Dansville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hemlock, NY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Wayland’s climate
What is the weather like in Wayland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 36 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 Wayland in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 138 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 13°.
How much snow does Wayland get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Dansville, NY, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Wayland?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Hemlock, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Wayland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 167 frost-free days, at Hemlock, NY.
What growing zone is Wayland in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wayland?
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 Wayland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wayland.
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.