Climate · Thurston

Thurston, NY climate

Thurston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
80°
808th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
January low
15°
843rd coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Rain + melted snow
37 in
306th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow a winter
48 in
632nd least snowy of 2,158 New York towns
A normal year

What a year in Thurston feels like

Winter

34° / 17°
Typical high / low · 21 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

56° / 33°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 14

Summer

78° / 55°
Typical high / low · 9 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

59° / 39°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 5
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Thurston weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January31°15°2.2" 13.3"14 13° – 31°
February34°16°1.9" 11.8"11 11° – 33°
March43°22°2.5" 9.6"14 26° – 45°
April56°32°3.2" 1.0"14 39° – 50°
May69°43°3.3" 0.1"15 49° – 61°
June76°53°4.0" 014 61° – 68°
July80°57°3.6" 012 64° – 72°
August79°55°3.7" 012 63° – 71°
September72°49°3.8" 011 56° – 64°
October60°38°3.5" 0.3"15 44° – 55°
November47°30°2.7" 2.1"14 33° – 44°
December36°21°2.6" 10.0"15 20° – 40°
Year57°36°37.1"48.2"161

“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 Thurston

Thurston gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.

37 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 60% of U.S. towns
48 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns
161 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.0"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
13"
Frost & the growing season

About 144 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 144 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.

165
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
11
nights below 0° in a normal year
9
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 Thurston

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Thurston, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
7,053 heating degree daysMore heating than 74% of U.S. towns
395 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 85% 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 Thurston

Thurston and its neighbors

Thurston borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. Cameron has both the coldest January nights (15°) and the hottest July afternoons (81°). Thurston’s January low is 15° and its July high 80°.

Canisteo: January low 14°, July high 79°Rathbone: January low 15°, July high 81°Jasper: January low 14°, July high 79°Bath: January low 15°, July high 81°Woodhull: January low 15°, July high 81°Bradford: January low 16°, July high 81°Erwin: January low 15°, July high 81°Tuscarora: January low 15°, July high 81°Cameron: January low 15°, July high 81°Campbell: January low 15°, July high 81°Addison: January low 15°, July high 81°Thurston: January low 15°, July high 80° ThurstonCameronCampbellAddison
ColderMilder14° to 16°
Thurston14.5°
Cameron14.7° +0.2°
Addison14.8° +0.3°
Campbell14.9° +0.4°

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

Compared with other towns

How Thurston compares

Summer heat80° July high
Cooler than 87% of U.S. towns808th coolest of 2,223 New York towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 71% of U.S. towns843rd coldest of 2,223 New York towns
Precipitation37" a year
Drier than 60% of U.S. towns306th driest of 2,223 New York towns
Snow48" a winter
Snowier than 80% of U.S. towns632nd least snowy of 2,158 New York towns
Growing season144 frost-free days
Shorter than 85% of U.S. towns373rd 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 Thurston averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°). The shift is smaller than in 58% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.2° now 26°, was 23°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 44°, was 44°
☀️ Summer+0.7° now 67°, was 66°
🍂 Fall+0.9° now 49°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Thurston’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 11° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Thurston’s climate

What is the coldest month in Thurston?

January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Thurston?

July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Thurston get?

About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Thurston?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 14.

What is the rainiest month in Thurston?

June, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Thurston itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Addison, NY (9 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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