Gainesville has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Gainesville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gainesville’s climate
Read from where Gainesville sits among New York’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Gainesville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
70 inches of snow, 41 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 10.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
Living with Gainesville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
156 frost-free days. The last frost comes by May 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 10.
About 70" a winter over 24 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 72 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 96% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
90° days are rare: July afternoons average 78°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Gainesville averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Gainesville compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New York.
Gainesville 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 | 30° | 14° | 2.8" | 18.6" | 14 | 22 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 2.2" | 14.2" | 11 | 18 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 2.7" | 12.9" | 11 | 12 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 4.1" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 4.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 56° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 3.2" | 6.8" | 13 | 5 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 3.0" | 16.2" | 14 | 15 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 40.9" | 70.1" | 151 | 72 |
Heating and cooling a home in Gainesville
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Gainesville’s climate
What is the coldest month in Gainesville?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Gainesville?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°.
How much snow does Gainesville get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Gainesville?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by May 7.
What is the rainiest month in Gainesville?
July, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gainesville.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Gainesville itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Portageville, NY (7 mi, snow) and Warsaw 6 Sw, NY (5 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.