MacDonnell Heights has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in MacDonnell Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about MacDonnell Heights’s climate
Read from where MacDonnell Heights sits among New York’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 14.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in MacDonnell Heights averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in MacDonnell Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
59 inches of snow, 44 of rain and melt
October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with MacDonnell Heights’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
168 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 14.
About 59" a winter over 14 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 78 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 89% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 19 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 85°.
The nicest months are May, June, August, September and October. 0.1 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 →MacDonnell Heights and its neighbors
LaGrange has the coldest January nights next door (18°) and Poughkeepsie the hottest July afternoons (85°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How MacDonnell Heights compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New York.
MacDonnell Heights 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 | 36° | 18° | 3.0" | 14.6" | 11 | 21 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 2.4" | 14.6" | 9 | 21 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 3.3" | 12.4" | 11 | 17 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.4" | 1.8" | 11 | 2 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 4.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 4.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.3" | 2.8" | 10 | 3 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 3.6" | 12.9" | 11 | 14 | 25° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 43.7" | 59.2" | 133 | 78 |
Heating and cooling a home in MacDonnell Heights
89% 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 16° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about MacDonnell Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in MacDonnell Heights?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in MacDonnell Heights?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 19 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does MacDonnell Heights get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in MacDonnell Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in MacDonnell Heights?
October, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in MacDonnell Heights.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for MacDonnell Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mohonk Lake, NY (16 mi, snow) and Poughkeepsie Dutchess Co Airport, NY (6 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.