Climate · Caroline

Caroline, NY climate

Caroline has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
351st coolest of 2,223 New York towns
January low
14°
729th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Rain + melted snow
42 in
762nd driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow a winter
64 in
949th snowiest of 2,158 New York towns
A normal year

What a year in Caroline feels like

Winter

33° / 17°
Typical high / low · 21 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

54° / 34°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 11

Summer

77° / 56°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 40°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 3
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Caroline weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January30°14°2.7" 14.6"11 13° – 31°
February33°16°2.3" 14.2"10 10° – 32°
March41°23°3.0" 14.1"11 25° – 45°
April54°33°3.5" 2.1"11 38° – 49°
May67°45°3.5" 011 50° – 61°
June75°53°4.5" 011 61° – 69°
July79°58°4.0" 011 64° – 72°
August77°57°4.0" 010 64° – 71°
September71°50°4.1" 010 57° – 65°
October58°39°4.0" 0.1"10 44° – 55°
November46°30°3.1" 4.7"10 33° – 44°
December35°21°3.1" 14.6"13 20° – 39°
Year55°37°41.7"64.4"127

“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 Caroline

Caroline gets 42 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.

42 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 57% of U.S. towns
64 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 90% of U.S. towns
127 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
15"
Frost & the growing season

About 145 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 145 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.

148
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
10
nights below 0° in a normal year
5
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Caroline

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Caroline, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
7,207 heating degree daysMore heating than 76% of U.S. towns
416 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 83% 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 Caroline

Caroline and its neighbors

Caroline borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Danby has the coldest January nights (14°) and Candor the hottest July afternoons (81°). Caroline’s January low is 14° and its July high 79°.

Lisle: January low 15°, July high 80°Newark Valley: January low 15°, July high 80°Nanticoke: January low 15°, July high 81°Newfield: January low 15°, July high 80°Spencer: January low 15°, July high 82°Ithaca: January low 16°, July high 81°Groton: January low 15°, July high 79°Virgil: January low 13°, July high 78°Lansing: January low 16°, July high 82°Lansing: January low 16°, July high 82°Owego: January low 16°, July high 82°Tioga: January low 16°, July high 81°Richford: January low 15°, July high 80°Berkshire: January low 15°, July high 80°Danby: January low 14°, July high 79°Dryden: January low 15°, July high 80°Candor: January low 15°, July high 81°Caroline: January low 14°, July high 79° CarolineRichfordBerkshireDanbyDrydenCandor
ColderMilder13° to 16°
Caroline14.0°
Danby14.1° +0.1°
Richford14.6° +0.6°
Berkshire14.8° +0.8°
Dryden14.9° +0.9°
Candor15.2° +1.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Caroline compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 92% of U.S. towns351st coolest of 2,223 New York towns
Winter cold14° January low
Colder than 73% of U.S. towns729th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Precipitation42" a year
Wetter than 57% of U.S. towns762nd driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow64" a winter
Snowier than 90% of U.S. towns949th snowiest of 2,158 New York towns
Growing season145 frost-free days
Shorter than 85% of U.S. towns481st 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

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Caroline averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 63% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.1° now 25°, was 23°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 44°, was 43°
☀️ Summer+0.6° now 67°, was 66°
🍂 Fall+0.9° now 49°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Caroline’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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 10° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Caroline’s climate

What is the coldest month in Caroline?

January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 14°.

What is the hottest month in Caroline?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Caroline get?

About 64 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Caroline?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 11.

What is the rainiest month in Caroline?

June, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Caroline itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Candor 2se, NY (11 mi, snow) and Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (9 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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