Buffalo, NY Climate & Monthly Averages
Buffalo has a humid subtropical climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 78° by day; January is the coldest at 33°.
Winter sets the pace in Buffalo
Cold is the baseline in Buffalo, not the exception. Night-time lows sit at or below freezing in 4 months of the year, and the warmest month, July, still only averages 78°F (26°C) by day. January runs to 22°F (-6°C) after dark.
July
78° by day 65° at nightJanuary
33° by day 22° at nightThe cold-weather pattern in numbers
July is the warm end of the year, averaging 78°F (26°C) by day and 65°F (18°C) overnight. January is the coolest month, with highs of 33°F (1°C) and lows near 22°F (-6°C). The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 93°F (34°C) and bottoms at -6°F (-21°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Precipitation concentrates in October - 4.4 inches (110 mm) on 14 days - and thins out by March.
July is the brightest month at 12.5 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 8.3 - duller than about 75% of the cities we track. Snow falls on roughly 26 days a year, mostly November through April. Days and nights are about 7°C apart on average - narrower than about 75% of the cities we track.
More climate facts for Buffalo
- Hottest month: July - highs near 78°F (26°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 33°F (1°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 93°F (34°C) high · -6°F (-21°C) low
- Wettest month: October (14 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (12.5 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 25°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 7°C
- Snow: about 26 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 4
- Average humidity: 74%
From snow season to the warmest stretch in Buffalo
Spring (March through May)
Spring in Buffalo is mild, with daytime highs averaging 54°F (12°C) and nights around 38°F (3°C); rain falls on around 38 of the 90 days, plus about 5 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Summer settles into easy warmth here - highs near 76°F (25°C), nights near 63°F (17°C), and rain falls on around 37 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 12.0 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall runs cool rather than cold here - highs near 60°F (16°C), nights near 48°F (9°C), and rain falls on around 37 of the 90 days, plus about 2 snowy days.
Winter (December through February)
Through winter, Buffalo brings deep cold: 36°F (2°C) by day, 24°F (-4°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 41 of the 90 days, plus about 19 snowy days. Wind sharpens cold like this considerably; pair the forecast winds with the wind speed converter to judge exposed conditions.
The coldest and warmest values in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Planning around winter in Buffalo
The easier weather window
May to October is the sweet spot for Buffalo - these are the warmest and brightest weeks of the year. Expect 71°F (22°C) in the afternoon and around 12 days of rain in a typical month of it. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in May.
Cold-weather packing
Pack for Buffalo with a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here. July nights average 65°F (18°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 22° | 14 | 3.2 in | 4.3 h/day | 9.3 h | 44% | 75% |
| February | 35° | 22° | 12 | 3.2 in | 6.0 h/day | 10.5 h | 42% | 73% |
| March | 43° | 28° | 13 | 3.2 in | 7.3 h/day | 11.8 h | 43% | 71% |
| April | 53° | 37° | 14 | 4.3 in | 8.7 h/day | 13.3 h | 46% | 72% |
| May | 65° | 49° | 12 | 3.3 in | 10.7 h/day | 14.6 h | 37% | 73% |
| June | 74° | 59° | 12 | 3.7 in | 12.0 h/day | 15.3 h | 41% | 72% |
| July | 78° | 65° | 12 | 3.9 in | 12.5 h/day | 15.0 h | 40% | 76% |
| August | 77° | 65° | 13 | 3.7 in | 11.4 h/day | 13.9 h | 41% | 77% |
| September | 73° | 59° | 10 | 3.5 in | 10.0 h/day | 12.4 h | 33% | 76% |
| October | 60° | 49° | 14 | 4.4 in | 6.8 h/day | 11.0 h | 45% | 75% |
| November | 48° | 37° | 13 | 3.4 in | 5.6 h/day | 9.7 h | 43% | 72% |
| December | 39° | 29° | 15 | 3.6 in | 3.9 h/day | 9.0 h | 49% | 76% |
The route from winter to summer, month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Buffalo's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 4.3 h
- Daylight
- 9.3 h
- Snow
- 7 days
February
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 6.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.5 h
- Snow
- 6 days
March
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 7.3 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 3 days
April
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 8.7 h
- Daylight
- 13.3 h
- Snow
- 2 days
May
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.7 h
- Daylight
- 14.6 h
June
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 12.0 h
- Daylight
- 15.3 h
July
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 12.5 h
- Daylight
- 15.0 h
August
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 11.4 h
- Daylight
- 13.9 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 10.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 6.8 h
- Daylight
- 11.0 h
November
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 5.6 h
- Daylight
- 9.7 h
- Snow
- 2 days
December
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 3.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.0 h
- Snow
- 6 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Buffalo's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where Buffalo sits among other climates
- 27% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more evenly spread than almost every other city we track.
- Buffalo averages 50°F (10°C) across the year - cooler than all but 10% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.