Climate · Brighton

Brighton, NY climate

Brighton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 104 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
77°
47th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
January low
5°
7th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Rain + melted snow
43 in
996th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow a winter
104 in
387th snowiest of 2,158 New York towns
A normal year

What a year in Brighton feels like

Winter

28° / 8°
Typical high / low · 42 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

51° / 27°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Jun 2

Summer

74° / 51°
Typical high / low · 1 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

54° / 34°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 9
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Brighton weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January25°5°2.8" 21.0"1929 2° – 24°
February28°7°2.2" 21.0"1427 3° – 25°
March37°15°2.6" 18.9"1324 15° – 38°
April51°28°3.5" 7.8"147 33° – 45°
May65°39°3.9" 0.5"150 45° – 58°
June72°49°4.6" 0150 58° – 66°
July77°54°4.4" 0140 60° – 69°
August75°52°4.0" 0130 60° – 67°
September67°44°4.0" 0120 51° – 61°
October54°34°4.5" 2.6"151 40° – 51°
November41°24°3.3" 9.6"1511 26° – 39°
December30°13°3.2" 22.7"1926 13° – 35°
Year52°30°43.0"104.1"179124

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Brighton

Brighton gets 43 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 179 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 124 days of the year.

43 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 62% of U.S. towns
104 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns
124 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 97% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
23"
Frost & the growing season

About 97 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first one by September 9. That leaves about 97 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.

201
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
42
nights below 0° in a normal year
1
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Brighton

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Brighton, 99% of that work is heating and 1% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

99%heating
9,302 heating degree daysMore heating than 96% of U.S. towns
120 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Brighton

Brighton and its neighbors

Brighton borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Santa Clara has both the coldest January nights (5°) and the hottest July afternoons (77°). Brighton’s January low is 5° and its July high 77°.

Waverly: January low 5°, July high 77°Tupper Lake: January low 5°, July high 78°Brandon: January low 6°, July high 77°Black Brook: January low 6°, July high 77°Bellmont: January low 5°, July high 76°St. Armand: January low 6°, July high 77°Saranac: January low 7°, July high 77°Malone: January low 6°, July high 77°North Elba: January low 4°, July high 72°Newcomb: January low 5°, July high 75°Saranac Lake: January low 5°, July high 77°Long Lake: January low 5°, July high 77°Santa Clara: January low 5°, July high 77°Franklin: January low 5°, July high 76°Duane: January low 5°, July high 76°Harrietstown: January low 5°, July high 75°Brighton: January low 5°, July high 77° BrightonSanta ClaraFranklinDuaneHarrietstown
ColderMilder4° to 7°
Brighton4.8°
Santa Clara4.9° +0.1°
Duane4.9° +0.1°
Harrietstown5.0° +0.2°
Franklin5.1° +0.3°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Brighton compares

Summer heat77° July high
Cooler than 97% of U.S. towns47th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
Winter cold5° January low
Colder than 90% of U.S. towns7th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Precipitation43" a year
Wetter than 62% of U.S. towns996th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow104" a winter
Snowier than 97% of U.S. towns387th snowiest of 2,158 New York towns
Growing season97 frost-free days
Shorter than 99% of U.S. towns4th shortest of 2,222 New York towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Brighton averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 83% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.1° now 18°, was 15°
🌷 Spring+1.3° now 39°, was 38°
☀️ Summer+1.1° now 63°, was 62°
🍂 Fall+1.5° now 44°, was 43°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Brighton’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 15° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Brighton’s climate

What is the coldest month in Brighton?

January, with a typical high of 25° and a low of 5°.

What is the hottest month in Brighton?

July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 1 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Brighton get?

About 104 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Brighton?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 9, and the last spring frost by June 2.

What is the rainiest month in Brighton?

June, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 43 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Brighton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lake Placid 2 S, NY (17 mi, snow) and Saranac Rgnl Airport, NY (6 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.

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