Spencer, New York climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Spencer's normal year runs from 14°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.6°C, January lows of −10°C, July highs of 27°C.
- NOAA stationSpencer (1 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00308086
- Location42.22°N 76.47°W
- Elevation1,170 ft (357 m)
- From the center1 miles
- Population693
On October 22, the normal high in Spencer is 57°F and the normal low 35°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Spencer.
- Jan 31° 14°
- Feb 34° 14°
- Mar 42° 21°
- Apr 55° 31°
- May 68° 42°
- Jun 76° 51°
- Jul 80° 56°
- Aug 80° 54°
- Sep 72° 47°
- Oct 59° 37°
- Nov 47° 29°
- Dec 36° 20°
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 Spencer each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 14°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 14°F | 22.5°F | – | <1 | 29 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 34°F | 14°F | 24.1°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 42°F | 21°F | 31.1°F | – | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 55°F | 31°F | 43.3°F | – | <1 | 18 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 68°F | 42°F | 54.6°F | – | <1 | 6 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 76°F | 51°F | 63.1°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 80°F | 56°F | 67.6°F | – | 2 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 80°F | 54°F | 67.0°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 72°F | 47°F | 59.5°F | – | 1 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 59°F | 37°F | 48.0°F | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 47°F | 29°F | 37.7°F | – | <1 | 19 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 36°F | 20°F | 28.4°F | – | <1 | 28 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 57°F | 35°F | 45.6°F | – | 5 | 168 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −10°C | −5.3°C |
| February | 1°C | −10°C | −4.4°C |
| March | 5°C | −6°C | −0.5°C |
| April | 13°C | 0°C | 6.3°C |
| May | 20°C | 5°C | 12.6°C |
| June | 24°C | 10°C | 17.3°C |
| July | 27°C | 13°C | 19.8°C |
| August | 27°C | 12°C | 19.4°C |
| September | 22°C | 8°C | 15.3°C |
| October | 15°C | 3°C | 8.9°C |
| November | 8°C | −2°C | 3.2°C |
| December | 2°C | −6°C | −2.0°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Ithaca (16 miles away), gets 63 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00308086; 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 Spencer?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
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 USC00308086.
When is the last frost in Spencer?
In Spencer, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 12 in half of years and after May 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 3 in half of years and before September 21 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
- May 121 year in 10 after May 27; 9 in 10 after April 28
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 31 year in 10 before September 21; 9 in 10 before October 19
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 143 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 166 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 30 in half of springs and before October 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Spencer in zone 6a in ZIP code 14883, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in New York · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00308086; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Spencer?
In a normal year in Spencer, 5 days a year reach 90°F and 168 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 168a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 48high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00308086.
How sunny is Spencer?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Spencer, 3.6 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (76%) and December the cloudiest (49%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 53% | 1.4 |
| February | 57% | 2.2 |
| March | 61% | 3.3 |
| April | 65% | 4.5 |
| May | 69% | 5.4 |
| June | 72% | 5.8 |
| July | 76% | 5.9 |
| August | 76% | 5.2 |
| September | 73% | 4.1 |
| October | 62% | 2.6 |
| November | 59% | 1.7 |
| December | 49% | 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 Spencer need?
A normal year in Spencer brings 7,358 heating degree days, 37% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 314 cooling degree days, 65% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,072 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,317 | 0 |
| February | 1,145 | 0 |
| March | 1,049 | 0 |
| April | 654 | 2 |
| May | 335 | 13 |
| June | 112 | 56 |
| July | 31 | 113 |
| August | 45 | 107 |
| September | 188 | 23 |
| October | 528 | 1 |
| November | 819 | 0 |
| December | 1,135 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,358 | 314 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00308086. 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.
How does Spencer's climate compare?
Spencer is warmer than 35 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in New York. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 45.6°F is warmer than 22%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Spencer share this climate record?
4 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.
- Candor, NY752 people · 7 mi E
- Van Etten, NY539 people · 5 mi W
- Erin, NY529 people · 11 mi W
- West Danby, NY246 people · 8 mi NW
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 Spencer's climate
What is the coldest month in Spencer?
January, with a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 14°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Spencer?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Spencer's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Ithaca (16 miles away), records 63 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Spencer in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Spencer in zone 6a in ZIP code 14883, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Spencer?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 12; in one year in ten it comes after May 27. Waiting until May 27 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- New York climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Waverly, NY15 miles from this station, 48.5°F a year
- Ithaca, NY16 miles from this station, 46.3°F a year
- Endicott, NY21 miles from this station, 47.7°F a year
- Mecklenburg (4 mi SW), NY22 miles from this station, 45.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made