Climate · Freetown

Freetown, NY climate

Freetown 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°
299th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
January low
14°
695th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Rain + melted snow
44 in
1049th wettest 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 Freetown feels like

Winter

32° / 17°
Typical high / low · 25 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

54° / 33°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 13

Summer

77° / 55°
Typical high / low · 2 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 39°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 4
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Freetown 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
January30°14°3.1" 16.1"1422 12° – 30°
February32°16°2.6" 14.5"1120 10° – 31°
March40°22°3.2" 13.0"1214 24° – 44°
April54°32°3.6" 2.4"122 37° – 48°
May66°44°3.7" 0130 50° – 60°
June75°53°4.7" 0130 61° – 69°
July79°58°4.1" 0130 64° – 72°
August77°56°4.2" 0110 63° – 70°
September70°49°4.2" 0110 57° – 64°
October58°38°4.2" 0.1"140 43° – 55°
November45°30°3.3" 5.6"125 32° – 43°
December35°21°3.5" 12.7"1414 19° – 39°
Year55°36°44.3"64.4"14977

“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 Freetown

Freetown gets 44 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 77 days of the year.

44 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 66% of U.S. towns
64 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 90% of U.S. towns
77 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 80% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
16"
Frost & the growing season

About 145 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 145 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.

155
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
13
nights below 0° in a normal year
2
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 Freetown

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Freetown, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

96%heating
7,459 heating degree daysMore heating than 79% of U.S. towns
287 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 92% 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 Freetown

Freetown and its neighbors

Freetown borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.3°. Solon has the coldest January nights (13°) and Cincinnatus the hottest July afternoons (80°). Freetown’s January low is 14° and its July high 79°.

Willet: January low 15°, July high 81°Lapeer: January low 14°, July high 79°Lisle: January low 15°, July high 80°Taylor: January low 14°, July high 79°Truxton: January low 13°, July high 78°Harford: January low 14°, July high 79°Dryden: January low 15°, July high 80°Homer: January low 14°, July high 80°Summerhill: January low 14°, July high 78°Groton: January low 15°, July high 79°Marathon: January low 15°, July high 80°Solon: January low 13°, July high 78°Virgil: January low 13°, July high 78°Cincinnatus: January low 14°, July high 80°Cortlandville: January low 14°, July high 79°Freetown: January low 14°, July high 79° FreetownMarathonSolonVirgilCincinnatusCortlandville
ColderMilder13° to 15°
Solon13.2° −0.6°
Virgil13.2° −0.6°
Freetown13.8°
Cortlandville13.8° same
Cincinnatus14.1° +0.3°
Marathon14.5° +0.7°

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

Compared with other towns

How Freetown compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 93% of U.S. towns299th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
Winter cold14° January low
Colder than 74% of U.S. towns695th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Precipitation44" a year
Wetter than 66% of U.S. towns1049th wettest 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

+1.2°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Freetown averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°). The shift is smaller than in 55% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.2° now 25°, was 22°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 43°, was 42°
☀️ Summer+0.7° now 66°, was 65°
🍂 Fall+1.0° now 48°, was 47°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Freetown’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 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Freetown’s climate

What is the coldest month in Freetown?

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

What is the hottest month in Freetown?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Freetown get?

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

When is the first frost in Freetown?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 13.

What is the rainiest month in Freetown?

June, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Freetown itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Freeville 1 Ne, NY (16 mi, snow) and Ithaca 13 E, NY (13 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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