Buffalo, NY climate by month
Summers in Buffalo are warm; winters are cold and snowy. Highs peak at 80°F in July and fall to 32°F in January. Wet days are spread through the year, from about 10 to 19 a month. Normal snowfall is about 95 in a year. The most comfortable time to visit is May, June and September.
- Warmest month
- 80°F
- July normal high
- Coldest month
- 19°F
- January normal low
- Wet days a year
- 166
- 40.7 in of precipitation
- Snow a year
- 95.4 in
- normal snowfall
How warm is Buffalo?
Normal highs range from 32°F in January to 80°F in July.
Bars run from the normal low to the normal high for each month.
How rainy is Buffalo?
January has the most wet days (about 19); the year brings about 41 in of precipitation.
Wet day: at least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow, counted from daily records 1991-2020.
How much does it snow?
Normal snowfall is 95.4 in a year, most of it in January.
How humid is Buffalo?
Muggy days peak in July, at about 8 days.
Muggy day: daily mean dew point of 65°F or higher, from hourly observations 1991-2020 at Buffalo Niagara International Airpor, 8.1 mi ENE of the city center.
How much daylight?
Daylight ranges from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June.
See all numbers
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Wet days | Snow | Muggy days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 19°F | 3.4 in | 19 | 26.7 in | 0 | 9.4 h |
| February | 33°F | 20°F | 2.5 in | 16 | 18.1 in | 0 | 10.6 h |
| March | 42°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 15 | 14.1 in | 0 | 11.9 h |
| April | 55°F | 37°F | 3.4 in | 13 | 2.5 in | 0 | 13.4 h |
| May | 67°F | 48°F | 3.4 in | 13 | 0.0 in | 0 | 14.7 h |
| June | 76°F | 58°F | 3.4 in | 12 | 0.0 in | 3 | 15.3 h |
| July | 80°F | 63°F | 3.2 in | 11 | 0.0 in | 8 | 15.0 h |
| August | 79°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 10 | 0.0 in | 6 | 13.9 h |
| September | 72°F | 55°F | 4.1 in | 11 | 0.0 in | 2 | 12.5 h |
| October | 60°F | 44°F | 4.0 in | 14 | 0.9 in | 0 | 11.0 h |
| November | 48°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 14 | 7.8 in | 0 | 9.8 h |
| December | 37°F | 26°F | 3.8 in | 18 | 25.3 in | 0 | 9.1 h |
High and low: NOAA 1991-2020 normal daily high and low. Wet days: at least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow. Muggy days: daily mean dew point 65°F or higher.
Best months to visit Buffalo
By our comfort score, the best months are May, June and September.
| Month | Score | Comfortable | Notable rain | Hot or cold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| Feb | 28 | 0 | 7 | 22 |
| Mar | 38 | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| Apr | 55 | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| May | 72 | 15 | 8 | 0 |
| Jun | 71 | 14 | 8 | 1 |
| Jul | 66 | 9 | 6 | 2 |
| Aug | 66 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| Sep | 69 | 16 | 7 | 0 |
| Oct | 55 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| Nov | 38 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Dec | 25 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Score = 40 × share of comfortable days + 25 × share of days without notable rain + 20 × share of days neither hot (90°F+) nor cold (high 40°F or below) + 15 × daylight. How the score works.
Frost dates in Buffalo
The last spring frost typically comes around Apr 24, and the first fall frost around Oct 26, leaving 183 frost-free days in a typical year.
| Typical date | 1 year in 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Last spring frost (32°F) | Apr 24 | after May 9 |
| First fall frost (32°F) | Oct 26 | before Oct 10 |
| Last hard freeze (28°F) | Apr 13 | after Apr 27 |
| First hard freeze (28°F) | Nov 6 | before Oct 25 |
| Frost-free season | 183 days | under 163 days |
"Typical" is the date with a 50% chance of a later spring frost (or earlier fall frost). Planting after the "1 year in 10" spring date gives a 90% chance of no further frost. The Old Farmer's Almanac publishes 30% dates, which fall between our typical and 1-in-10 dates.
Station: Buffalo (USW00014733), NOAA 1991-2020 freeze probabilities. Frost dates for every city in New York.
Hottest and coldest readings, 1991-2020
The highest reading was 98°F (July 9, 2020); the lowest was -12°F (February 14, 2016).
From the temperature station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed. Not an all-time record.
Near Buffalo
- Niagara Falls, NYJan 32°F · Jul 80°F · 17 mi
- Rochester, NYJan 33°F · Jul 83°F · 66 mi
- Syracuse, NYJan 32°F · Jul 82°F · 139 mi
Similar climates elsewhere
- Grand Rapids, MIJan 31°F · Jul 83°F
- Ann Arbor, MIJan 32°F · Jul 84°F
- Burlington, VTJan 29°F · Jul 82°F
- Akron, OHJan 36°F · Jul 84°F
- Traverse City, MIJan 29°F · Jul 81°F
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Buffalo (USW00014733), 8.3 mi ENE of the city center, 693 ft (91 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Buffalo Niagara International Airpor (725280-14733), 8.1 mi ENE of the city center, 709 ft (107 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).
Distances from the city center (USGS). Methodology · Report an error