Rapids has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 95 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Rapids at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rapids’s climate
Read from where Rapids sits among New York’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
95 inches of snow, 37 of rain and melt
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Rapids feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 26.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Rapids’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
182 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 26.
About 95" a winter over 26 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 71 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 91% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 7 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 81°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Rapids and its neighbors
Royalton has the coldest January nights next door (17°) and Clarence the hottest July afternoons (81°). 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rapids averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 78% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Rapids compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New York.
Rapids 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 | 32° | 18° | 2.6" | 26.7" | 19 | 21 | 16° – 35° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 2.1" | 18.1" | 16 | 19 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 2.5" | 14.1" | 15 | 12 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 36° | 3.3" | 2.5" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.3" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 3.3" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 3.4" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 60° | 3.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 53° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.9" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 3.1" | 7.8" | 14 | 4 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 3.0" | 25.3" | 18 | 14 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 37.2" | 95.4" | 166 | 71 |
Heating and cooling a home in Rapids
91% 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 11° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Rapids’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rapids?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rapids get?
About 95 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Rapids?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 26, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Rapids?
September, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rapids.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rapids itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Buffalo, NY (11 mi, snow) and Lockport 4e, 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.