Rensselaer, New York Weather
Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Rensselaer weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJul 4Light Drizzle28%—87°72°—
- SundayJul 5Overcast11%—86°68°-1°
- MondayJul 6Rain62%1.6″75°63°-11°
- TuesdayJul 7Showers65%0.83″65°61°-10°
- WednesdayJul 8Light Drizzle20%—78°61°+13°
- ThursdayJul 9Light Drizzle26%0.01″83°64°+5°
- FridayJul 10Light Drizzle58%—80°66°-3°
AQI 54 (Moderate), driven by Ozone. AQI up 9 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). Ozone at AQI 48 — peak already passed at 1 PM under overcast skies. Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 48 — peak already passed at 1 PM under overcast skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 48
- UV peak
- 2.3 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 48
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 5.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 6.6 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.88
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).








































If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
- Moonrise
- 10:52 PM
- Moonset
- 9:55 AM
- In sign
- ♓︎ Pisces
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Rensselaer at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 18°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 2 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jul 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
ZIP code: 12144
16-Day Forecast — Rensselaer
- Sat88°72°28%
- Sun86°70°11%
- Mon75°63°62%
- Tue65°61°65%
- Wed78°61°20%
- Thu83°64°26%
- Fri80°66°58%
- Sat75°68°34%
- Sun73°61°26%
- Mon78°59°28%
- Tue77°62°32%
- Wed84°57°35%
- Thu83°63°69%
- Fri93°64°45%
- Sat93°67°48%
- Sun79°69°47%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Rensselaer
SPC has placed Rensselaer in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYSLGTSlight Risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Scattered severe storms possible. A few tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind gusts possible.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Microseason · July 1–5
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Annual cicada buzz begins, peaking in the heat of the day.
Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
In Rensselaer, July runs warmest near 72°F and January coldest around 23°F, while May is the wettest month (4.1 inches) and February the driest (2.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 3.2″ | 17 |
| February | 25° | 2.8″ | 16 |
| March | 34° | 3.5″ | 19 |
| April | 47° | 4.0″ | 19 |
| May | 57° | 4.1″ | 19 |
| June | 66° | 4.1″ | 18 |
| July | 72° | 3.7″ | 18 |
| August | 71° | 3.9″ | 18 |
| September | 64° | 3.5″ | 16 |
| October | 53° | 3.7″ | 16 |
| November | 38° | 4.1″ | 17 |
| December | 28° | 3.8″ | 18 |
Regional context
In Rensselaer, NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals put January near 23°F and July near 72°F — a 49°F seasonal arc — with about 44.3 inches of precipitation over 210 rainy or snowy days.
Rainfall in Rensselaer stays even across the calendar: May tops out at 4.1 inches over 18.5 rainy days, and February still logs 2.8 inches across 16.5 — a narrow range for Rensselaer. That even rhythm groups Rensselaer with places like Hampton Manor, NY, Menands, NY and Albany, NY.
Around late-May, Rensselaer sheds its freezing nights — kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips go into Rensselaer's beds. Rensselaer's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Rensselaer's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. Frost returns to Rensselaer near early-October, ending the tender-crop season. A creek-bottom lot in Rensselaer can lag Rensselaer's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.
Similar climates: Hampton Manor, NY, Menands, NY, Albany, NY, Loudonville, NY, Roessleville, NY.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Rensselaer?
- In Rensselaer, expect the last spring frost near mid-May; Rensselaer's first autumn frost comes around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Rensselaer?
- Rensselaer sees its heaviest rain in May (around 4.1 inches), part of roughly 44 inches a year.
- What is the warmest month in Rensselaer?
- On average July tops the year in Rensselaer at about 72°F.
- What is the coldest month in Rensselaer?
- The coldest stretch in Rensselaer falls in January, around 23°F on average.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Rensselaer?
- Around mid-May, start frost-hardy crops in Rensselaer; tomatoes and basil belong a fortnight later.
- How many rainy days does Rensselaer get?
- Rensselaer averages about 210 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
- What hardiness zone is Rensselaer?
- Since January in Rensselaer averages 23°F, Rensselaer's USDA zone follows that floor — confirm it by ZIP.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Rensselaer?
- Rensselaer's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Rensselaer?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Rensselaer in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Rensselaer?
- Current conditions for Rensselaer and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Rensselaer forecast updated?
- The Rensselaer forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Rensselaer?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Rensselaer are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Rensselaer?
- The next few days in Rensselaer's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Climate
The warm-summer humid continental climate of Rensselaer, New York carries typical Januarys near 23°F and Julys around 72°F — 49°F of seasonal travel.
Rensselaer sees close to 44 inches of precipitation annually, falling across some 210 wet days.
From 42.6°N, Rensselaer sees a 49°F seasonal swing that governs Rensselaer's planting and frost windows.
ZIP codes in Rensselaer
- 12144