Colonie, NY climate
Colonie has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Colonie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Colonie 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 | 32° | 15° | 2.7" | 16.5" | 14 | 21 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 17° | 2.4" | 9.9" | 9 | 16 | 12° – 33° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.0" | 9.8" | 12 | 10 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.3" | 2.3" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.5" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.7" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 3.3" | 15.5" | 12 | 11 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 41.3" | 56.2" | 141 | 61 |
“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 Colonie
Colonie gets 41 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 61 days of the year.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 169 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 62% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Colonie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Colonie, 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.
Colonie and its neighbors
Colonie borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Guilderland has the coldest January nights (15°) and Colonie the hottest July afternoons (83°). Colonie’s January low is 15° and its July high 83°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Colonie 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 Colonie averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Colonie’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 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Colonie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Colonie?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Colonie?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Colonie get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Colonie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 27.
What is the rainiest month in Colonie?
June, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Colonie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Albany Nwfo Univ, NY (2 mi, snow) and Albany 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.