Buffalo, New York climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Buffalo's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons, with 40.7 inches of precipitation and 95 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.3°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 27°C, 1,033 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBuffalo Niagara International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014733
- Location42.95°N 78.74°W
- Elevation693 ft (211 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population276,617
On October 23, the normal high in Buffalo is 57°F and the normal low 42°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 45%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Buffalo.
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 33° 20°
- Mar 42° 26°
- Apr 55° 37°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 76° 58°
- Jul 80° 63°
- Aug 79° 62°
- Sep 72° 55°
- Oct 60° 44°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Buffalo each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F. The most precipitation falls in September (4.10 in), the least in February (2.49 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 19°F | 25.5°F | 3.35 | 26.7 | 19 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 33°F | 20°F | 26.4°F | 2.49 | 18.1 | 16 | <1 | 25 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 42°F | 26°F | 34.1°F | 2.89 | 14.1 | 15 | <1 | 23 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 55°F | 37°F | 45.6°F | 3.37 | 2.5 | 13 | <1 | 9 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 67°F | 48°F | 57.9°F | 3.37 | 0.0 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 76°F | 58°F | 66.9°F | 3.37 | 0.0 | 12 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 80°F | 63°F | 71.7°F | 3.23 | 0.0 | 11 | 2 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 79°F | 62°F | 70.4°F | 3.23 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 72°F | 55°F | 63.4°F | 4.10 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 60°F | 44°F | 51.7°F | 4.03 | 0.9 | 14 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 48°F | 34°F | 41.0°F | 3.50 | 7.8 | 14 | <1 | 13 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 37°F | 26°F | 31.4°F | 3.75 | 25.3 | 18 | <1 | 24 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 57°F | 41°F | 48.8°F | 40.68 | 95.4 | 166 | 3 | 124 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −7°C | −3.6°C | 85 mm | 68 cm |
| February | 1°C | −7°C | −3.1°C | 63 mm | 46 cm |
| March | 5°C | −3°C | 1.2°C | 73 mm | 36 cm |
| April | 13°C | 3°C | 7.6°C | 86 mm | 6 cm |
| May | 20°C | 9°C | 14.4°C | 86 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 24°C | 15°C | 19.4°C | 86 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 27°C | 17°C | 22.1°C | 82 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 26°C | 17°C | 21.3°C | 82 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 22°C | 13°C | 17.4°C | 104 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 15°C | 7°C | 10.9°C | 102 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 9°C | 1°C | 5.0°C | 89 mm | 20 cm |
| December | 3°C | −4°C | −0.3°C | 95 mm | 64 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014733; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Buffalo?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, August has the fewest days with rain (10).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014733.
When is the last frost in Buffalo?
In Buffalo, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 24 in half of years and after May 9 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 26 in half of years and before October 10 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 241 year in 10 after May 9; 9 in 10 after April 11
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 261 year in 10 before October 10; 9 in 10 before November 9
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 183 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 208 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 13 in half of springs and before November 6 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Buffalo in zone 6b across its 17 ZIP code areas (6b in 14215, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Buffalo's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −3°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in New York · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00014733; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Buffalo ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Buffalo's 17 ZIP code areas are all in zone 6b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| 14201 | 6b | 2.9 km² |
| 14202 | 6b | 2.3 km² |
| 14203 | 6b | 7.3 km² |
| 14204 | 6b | 4.6 km² |
| 14206 | 6b | 9.1 km² |
| 14207 | 6b | 7.5 km² |
| 14208 | 6b | 3.0 km² |
| 14209 | 6b | 2.5 km² |
| 14210 | 6b | 7.6 km² |
| 14211 | 6b | 8.2 km² |
| 14212 | 6b | 4.2 km² |
| 14213 | 6b | 5.0 km² |
| 14214 | 6b | 8.6 km² |
| 14215 | 6b | 9.7 km² |
| 14216 | 6b | 7.2 km² |
| 14220 | 6b | 9.2 km² |
| 14222 | 6b | 3.2 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Buffalo?
In a normal year in Buffalo, 3 days a year reach 90°F, 124 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 166 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 124a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 49high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 166a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 26a normal year
The highest temperature in Buffalo's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1873) is 99°F, on August 27, 1948; the lowest is −20°F, on February 9, 1934.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1878, with 60.24 in; the snowiest season is 1976–77, with 199.4 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00014733; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record BUFthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Buffalo, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 59°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 61°F; the driest air comes in January (18°F). January is the windiest month (11.8 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (39%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | 74% | 69% | 11.8 mph | 13% | 62% |
| February | 21°F | 73% | 64% | 11.2 mph | 20% | 54% |
| March | 30°F | 67% | 55% | 10.6 mph | 29% | 46% |
| April | 38°F | 61% | 48% | 10.0 mph | 32% | 35% |
| May | 51°F | 67% | 53% | 9.4 mph | 31% | 30% |
| June | 59°F | 68% | 53% | 9.2 mph | 35% | 19% |
| July | 61°F | 69% | 53% | 8.3 mph | 31% | 21% |
| August | 58°F | 70% | 54% | 8.1 mph | 39% | 19% |
| September | 49°F | 72% | 57% | 9.1 mph | 34% | 29% |
| October | 37°F | 70% | 61% | 10.2 mph | 21% | 46% |
| November | 29°F | 73% | 67% | 11.2 mph | 11% | 59% |
| December | 22°F | 75% | 71% | 11.7 mph | 11% | 65% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014733. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Buffalo?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Buffalo, 3.6 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (76%) and December the cloudiest (48%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 452nd (with 6 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 51% | 1.4 |
| February | 55% | 2.1 |
| March | 60% | 3.3 |
| April | 64% | 4.4 |
| May | 69% | 5.4 |
| June | 72% | 5.9 |
| July | 76% | 5.9 |
| August | 76% | 5.2 |
| September | 74% | 4.1 |
| October | 61% | 2.5 |
| November | 57% | 1.6 |
| December | 48% | 1.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Buffalo need?
A normal year in Buffalo brings 6,466 heating degree days, 20% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 608 cooling degree days, 33% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,711 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,223 | 0 |
| February | 1,081 | 0 |
| March | 958 | 0 |
| April | 584 | 2 |
| May | 254 | 32 |
| June | 54 | 110 |
| July | 7 | 213 |
| August | 13 | 178 |
| September | 114 | 66 |
| October | 417 | 6 |
| November | 720 | 0 |
| December | 1,042 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,466 | 608 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014733. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Buffalo been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 49.4°F, 0.6°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 48.8°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52.0°F | +3.2°F | 40.32 | 54.1 |
| 2022 | 49.9°F | +1.1°F | 45.29 | 188.3 |
| 2023 | 51.2°F | +2.4°F | 40.52 | 40.0 |
| 2024 | 53.0°F | +4.2°F | 37.05 | 86.5 |
| 2025 | 49.4°F | +0.6°F | 31.48 | 89.1 |
Over 131 complete years from 1884 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.8°F per century (+0.16°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00014733; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Buffalo's climate compare?
Buffalo is warmer than 90 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in New York, and wetter than 43. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.8°F is warmer than 35%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Buffalo is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Buffalo share this climate record?
15 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Cheektowaga, NYalso near: North Tonawanda (12 mi, 48.2°F a year); Wales (14 mi, 46.5°F a year)76,251 people · 3 mi S
- West Seneca, NY45,329 people · 8 mi S
- Lackawanna, NY19,629 people · 10 mi SW
- Eggertsville, NY15,416 people · 4 mi W
- Depew, NY14,910 people · 3 mi SE
- Lancaster, NY10,094 people · 5 mi SE
- University at Buffalo, NY6,776 people · 4 mi NW
- Harris Hill, NY5,853 people · 3 mi NE
- Williamsville, NY5,489 people · 1 mi N
- Sloan, NY3,730 people · 5 mi SW
- Akron, NY2,886 people · 13 mi E
- Clarence, NY2,600 people · 7 mi E
- Blasdell, NY2,557 people · 12 mi SW
- Clarence Center, NY2,551 people · 7 mi NE
- Town Line, NY2,001 people · 10 mi SE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Buffalo's climate
What is the coldest month in Buffalo?
January, with a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Buffalo?
Yes: 95 inches in a normal year, falling on 60 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (26.7 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Buffalo?
September, with 4.10 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.49 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Buffalo in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Buffalo in zone 6b across its 17 ZIP code areas (6b in 14215, the largest). By the same method at Buffalo's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −3°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Buffalo?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 24; in one year in ten it comes after May 9. Waiting until May 9 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Buffalo in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- New York climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- North Tonawanda, NY10 miles from this station, 48.2°F a year
- Niagara Falls, NY15 miles from this station, 47.7°F a year
- Wales, NY16 miles from this station, 46.5°F a year
- Lockport, NY18 miles from this station, 49.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made