Photo: AITFFan1 · CC BY-SA 4.0For weather, West Hempstead is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 60°. In January, nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 2 to November 12.
A year in West Hempstead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Hempstead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Hempstead’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in West Hempstead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mineola, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Hempstead’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at JFK Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; December is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Hempstead
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Mineola, NY.
Living with West Hempstead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Hempstead from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Hempstead and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Hempstead in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Hempstead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hempstead, NY | 26° | 85° | 46" | 26" |
| Damascus, MD | 25° | 85° | 45" | 31" |
| Independence, KY | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Amelia, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 West Hempstead averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 West Hempstead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Hempstead’s place among New York’s.
West Hempstead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Hempstead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from JFK Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 26° | 3.4" | 7.5" | 11 | 6 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 26° | 3.0" | 8.6" | 10 | 7 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 33° | 4.3" | 4.3" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 31° | 4.3" | 4.5" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 63° | 45° | 45.5" | 25.9" | 121 | 20 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where West Hempstead’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 West Hempstead’s center.
- Snow: JFK Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mineola, 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 West Hempstead’s climate
What is the weather like in West Hempstead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Hempstead in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does West Hempstead get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at JFK Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Hempstead?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 67°. About 16 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Mineola, NY).
When is the first and last frost in West Hempstead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 224 frost-free days, at Mineola, NY.
What growing zone is West Hempstead in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Hempstead?
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 West Hempstead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Hempstead.
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.