Potsdam has chilly winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Potsdam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Potsdam’s climate
Read from where Potsdam sits among Ohio’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with Potsdam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
194 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 28.
About 25" a winter over 8 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 27 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 82% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 16 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 85°.
The nicest months are April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →What a year in Potsdam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
25 inches of snow, 41 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 194 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 28.
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 Potsdam averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Potsdam compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Ohio.
Potsdam 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° | 20° | 3.0" | 8.3" | 13 | 11 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.3" | 6.6" | 11 | 8 | 18° – 41° |
| March | 50° | 31° | 3.2" | 3.9" | 12 | 2 | 33° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 4.5" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 55° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.3" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 3.1" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 2.9" | 4.8" | 12 | 6 | 20° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 40.8" | 25.0" | 134 | 27 |
Heating and cooling a home in Potsdam
82% 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. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Potsdam’s climate
What is the coldest month in Potsdam?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Potsdam?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 16 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Potsdam get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Potsdam?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 16.
What is the rainiest month in Potsdam?
May, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Potsdam.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Potsdam itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Dayton Intl Airport, OH (11 mi) away. 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.