Leicester has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Leicester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leicester’s climate
Read from where Leicester sits among New York’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
52 inches of snow, 34 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Leicester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 17.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Leicester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
170 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 17.
About 52" a winter over 19 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 66 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 93% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 7 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 82°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 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 Leicester averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Leicester compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New York.
Leicester 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 | 33° | 17° | 2.0" | 13.4" | 15 | 19 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.7" | 12.3" | 12 | 17 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.2" | 10.7" | 13 | 12 | 26° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 2.9" | 1.3" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 3.4" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 2.5" | 4.7" | 13 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.3" | 9.3" | 14 | 13 | 22° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 33.8" | 51.7" | 149 | 66 |
Heating and cooling a home in Leicester
93% 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 12° to 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Leicester’s climate
What is the coldest month in Leicester?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Leicester?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Leicester get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Leicester?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Leicester?
July, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 34 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Leicester.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Leicester itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Avon, NY (13 mi, snow) and Mt Morris 2 W, NY (3 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.