Climate · Groton

Groton, NY climate

Groton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
384th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
January low
15°
867th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Rain + melted snow
42 in
850th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow a winter
63 in
1017th snowiest of 2,158 New York towns
A normal year

What a year in Groton feels like

Winter

33° / 17°
Typical high / low · 20 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

54° / 33°
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

Groton 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°15°2.7" 16.6"1621 13° – 31°
February33°16°2.3" 14.5"1320 10° – 33°
March41°23°3.0" 12.0"1413 24° – 45°
April54°33°3.5" 2.8"141 37° – 49°
May67°45°3.6" 0150 50° – 61°
June75°54°4.4" 0140 61° – 69°
July79°59°4.1" 0130 65° – 72°
August78°56°4.0" 0120 64° – 71°
September71°50°4.2" 0120 58° – 65°
October58°39°4.0" 0.2"150 44° – 55°
November46°31°3.2" 4.6"144 33° – 44°
December35°22°3.2" 12.2"1614 20° – 39°
Year55°37°42.2"62.9"16673

“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 Groton

Groton 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 166 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 73 days of the year.

42 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 59% of U.S. towns
63 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 90% of U.S. towns
73 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 79% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.4"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
17"
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 Groton

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Groton, 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 Groton

Groton and its neighbors

Groton borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.5°. Summerhill has the coldest January nights (14°) and Lansing the hottest July afternoons (82°). Groton’s January low is 15° and its July high 79°.

Genoa: January low 16°, July high 80°Covert: January low 17°, July high 82°Lansing: January low 16°, July high 82°Ulysses: January low 17°, July high 82°Ithaca: January low 16°, July high 81°Cayuga Heights: January low 16°, July high 82°Caroline: January low 14°, July high 79°Virgil: January low 13°, July high 78°Homer: January low 14°, July high 80°Sempronius: January low 13°, July high 77°Moravia: January low 15°, July high 79°Solon: January low 13°, July high 78°Freetown: January low 14°, July high 79°Lansing: January low 16°, July high 82°Dryden: January low 15°, July high 80°Summerhill: January low 14°, July high 78°Locke: January low 16°, July high 80°Cortlandville: January low 14°, July high 79°Groton: January low 15°, July high 79° GrotonLansingDrydenSummerhillLockeCortlandville
ColderMilder13° to 17°
Summerhill13.8° −0.8°
Cortlandville13.8° −0.8°
Groton14.6°
Dryden14.9° +0.3°
Locke15.5° +0.9°
Lansing16.3° +1.7°

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

Compared with other towns

How Groton compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 92% of U.S. towns384th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 71% of U.S. towns867th coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Precipitation42" a year
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns850th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow63" a winter
Snowier than 90% of U.S. towns1017th 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 Groton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 64% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.1° now 25°, was 23°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 44°, was 43°
☀️ Summer+0.6° now 67°, was 66°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 49°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Groton’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 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Groton’s climate

What is the coldest month in Groton?

January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Groton?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Groton get?

About 63 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Groton?

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 Groton?

June, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Groton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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