Chautauqua, NY climate
Chautauqua has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 225 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Chautauqua feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Chautauqua 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 | 31° | 16° | 3.5" | 61.7" | 21 | 27 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 2.6" | 36.0" | 15 | 24 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 2.9" | 37.5" | 15 | 19 | 25° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.5" | 7.7" | 13 | 4 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 75° | 55° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 4.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 41° | 5.0" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 32° | 3.8" | 26.6" | 14 | 10 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 4.0" | 52.9" | 17 | 21 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 38° | 46.3" | 224.5" | 160 | 106 |
“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 Chautauqua
Chautauqua gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 160 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 106 days of the year.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 31. That leaves about 187 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 60% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Chautauqua
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Chautauqua, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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.
Chautauqua and its neighbors
Chautauqua borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.6°. Ellery has the coldest January nights (15°) and Westfield the hottest July afternoons (79°). Chautauqua’s January low is 16° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 53% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Chautauqua’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 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Chautauqua’s climate
What is the coldest month in Chautauqua?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Chautauqua?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Chautauqua get?
About 225 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Chautauqua?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 31, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Chautauqua?
October, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Chautauqua itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sherman, NY (7 mi, snow) and Portland1 Sw, 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.