Big Flats, NY climate
Big Flats has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Big Flats feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Big Flats weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 2.0" | 8.4" | 12 | 17 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 17° | 1.7" | 9.5" | 10 | 16 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.5" | 11.2" | 11 | 11 | 27° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 3.2" | 1.5" | 13 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.0" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.7" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 2.4" | 8.4" | 12 | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 35.4" | 41.8" | 140 | 58 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Big Flats
Big Flats gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 58 days of the year.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Big Flats
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Big Flats, 93% of that work is heating and 7% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Big Flats and its neighbors
Big Flats borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.7°. Catlin has the coldest January nights (14°) and Corning the hottest July afternoons (81°). Big Flats’s January low is 16° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Big Flats compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Big Flats averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Big Flats’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 12° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Big Flats’s climate
What is the coldest month in Big Flats?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Big Flats?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 12 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Big Flats get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Big Flats?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by May 9.
What is the rainiest month in Big Flats?
September, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Big Flats itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Elmira, NY (5 mi, snow) and Elmira Corning Rgnl Airport, NY (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.