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Climate in Syracuse, New York: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Syracuse sits at 413 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, NY station, runs to a yearly mean of 48.5°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 71.8°F with typical highs of 81.7°F; the coldest is January, averaging 24.1°F with lows around 16.5°F. Across a normal year the city receives 39.9 in of precipitation and 127.8 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Syracuse climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Syracuse climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Syracuse: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Syracuse's temperature range runs from 24.1°F in January to 71.8°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Syracuse through the seasons

Winter in Syracuse averages highs of 31.7–37.1°F and lows of 16.5–23.7°F, a seasonal mean of 26.7°F. The three months together bring 8.3 in of precipitation — about 21% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 3.28 in. Snowfall averages 94.9 in over the season, most of it in January (34.0 in). Average temperatures sit below freezing, so this is the heart of the heating season: expect snow-covered ground, icy mornings, and short, cold days as the local norm rather than the exception.

Spring in Syracuse averages highs of 42.4–69.2°F and lows of 25.2–47.3°F, a seasonal mean of 46.1°F. The three months together bring 9.9 in of precipitation — about 25% of the city's yearly total — with April the wettest of the three at 3.48 in. Snowfall averages 22.9 in over the season, most of it in March (19.8 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 24.4°F from March to May, and by late spring Syracuse is firmly into mild territory, with May rainfall of 3.42 in to plan around.

Summer in Syracuse averages highs of 77.3–81.7°F and lows of 56.7–62.0°F, a seasonal mean of 69.7°F. The three months together bring 11.1 in of precipitation — about 28% of the city's yearly total — with July the wettest of the three at 3.86 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably.

Fall in Syracuse averages highs of 48.3–73.1°F and lows of 32.7–52.7°F, a seasonal mean of 51.6°F. The three months together bring 10.5 in of precipitation — about 26% of the city's yearly total — with October the wettest of the three at 3.89 in. Snowfall averages 10.0 in over the season, most of it in November (9.8 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 22.4°F from September to November — and fall is when Syracuse's weather turns cooler and wetter, with the first freezes arriving by November.

Best and worst months to visit Syracuse

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Syracuse are:

JuneJulyAugust

June leads the list: average highs of 77.3°F, lows of 56.7°F, and 3.56 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, July and August, offer the same balance in Syracuse's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — deep-winter cold, with a mean temperature of 24.1°F and 2.58 in of precipitation plus 34.0 in of snow.

How Syracuse compares

Across the 124 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.9°F for the year and 36.3 in of precipitation. Syracuse runs 9.4°F cooler than that typical city and wetter by 3.5 in a year, ranking #103 of 124 for annual warmth and #60 of 124 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 47.7°F, which puts it in the strongly continental, four-real-seasons camp.

Within New York, Syracuse is the coolest of the cities we track. See the New York climate overview for the full state comparison, including New York (warmest, 55.8°F yearly mean) and Syracuse (coolest, 48.5°F).

Planning notes for Syracuse

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 4 months (January, February, March, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 2 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; 5 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Syracuse wardrobe to its utility bills.

Syracuse climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Syracuse Hancock International Airport, NY (USW00014771), elevation 413 ft. Figures checked October 2026.