Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Rochester, New York Weather

Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Rochester weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Rochester, NY
Saturday, July 4 at 4:06 PM
74
°
Overcast
Feels like
78°
Humidity
93%
Wind
14 mph
Sunrise
1:36 AM
Sunset
4:53 PM
Rochester, NY
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastRochester, NY: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 64 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit with a 32% chance of precipitation at 4 PM.
L 64°H 78°
Rochester, NY
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Light Showers
    42%
    0.10″
    79°70°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Drizzle
    —
    0.04″
    78°64°-1°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Drizzle
    52%
    0.06″
    75°63°-3°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Heavy Drizzle
    29%
    0.01″
    72°63°-3°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Light Drizzle
    11%
    —
    77°62°+5°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Light Drizzle
    30%
    0.02″
    73°65°-4°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Light Drizzle
    46%
    —
    78°68°+5°
Rochester, NY
Next 24 hours · Mild now
60°71°82°12p6p12a6anow 74°high 78°low 64°PRECIP %
Rochester, NY
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
WNW
303° · veering 21°
Direction
WNW
303°
Sustained
14
mph
Gust
26
mph
Peak 24h
26
avg 6
Beaufort · 4 · MOD BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 6 · pk 26 @ 9:00a
0102030MPHB1B2B3B4B5B6-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 2611SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Sustained 14 mph with gusts pulsing to 26 — flags snap, branches bend.
Rochester, NY
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
996.0
-0.7 mb in 3h · falling · 29.41 inHg
Now
996.0
mb
3h
-0.7
mb
12h
+0.4
mb
24h
+0.4
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 995–998
9909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW997.6995.0996.0
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Deep low — expect rough seas, strong wind, and persistent rain.
Rochester, NY
Air quality
43
AQI
Good
↓-5 in 6h▲Peak ~51 @ 11 PM

AQI 43 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI down 5 over the last 6 hours (gradual decline). Ozone at AQI 66 — 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.

PM 2.5Good
8.6μg/m³
PM 10Good
10μg/m³
NO₂Good
4μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERUnhealthy SG
117μg/m³
UV IndexLow
2.0

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 66 — peak already passed at 1 PM under overcast skies. Levels should ease through evening.

Present
AQI 66
UV peak
1.8 at earlier today
Sky at peak
overcast
Projected peak
AQI 66

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 8.6 µg/m³, PM10 at 9.6 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

PM2.5/PM10
0.90
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).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Rochester, NY
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
28.9mi
UNLIMITED
63 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
20:06 UTC · Rochester, NY · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
20:06 UTC · Rochester, NY · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Rochester, NY
Satellite · infrared · animated
Rochester, NY
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Rochester, NY
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
5:02 AM
Sunrise
1:36 AM
Daylight
15h 17m
Sunset
4:53 PM
Civil dusk
9:29 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Rochester, NY
The moon
Waning Gibbous
79% illuminated
Moonrise
11:09 PM
Moonset
10:10 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Rochester, NY
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

plant
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Rochester at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 6°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 5 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP codes: 14604, 14605, 14606, 14607, 14608, 14609, 14610, 14611 +17 more

16-Day Forecast — Rochester

  1. Sat79°70°42%
  2. Sun78°65°7%
  3. Mon75°63°52%
  4. Tue72°63°29%
  5. Wed77°62°11%
  6. Thu73°65°30%
  7. Fri78°68°46%
  8. Sat76°62°22%
  9. Sun74°56°19%
  10. Mon77°57°28%
  11. Tue77°56°21%
  12. Wed81°58°39%
  13. Thu81°65°31%
  14. Fri86°65°52%
  15. Sat84°70°35%
  16. Sun78°66°39%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Rochester

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 — Rochester

SPC includes Rochester in the general thunderstorm area today — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • DAY 3NONENo severe risk

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

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.

January 1–5: The year turns in silence.January 6–10: Ice thickens on still water.January 11–15: Shortest shadows lengthen.January 16–20: Pheasants begin to call.January 21–25: Springs begin to thaw.January 26–31: Chickadees announce dawn.February 1–5: East wind softens the frost.February 6–10: Sap begins to rise.February 11–15: First snowdrops appear.February 16–20: Red-winged blackbirds return.February 21–25: Rain begins to replace snow.February 26–28: Skunk cabbage pushes through ice.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the reservoir.March 6–10: Crocuses open to weak sun.March 11–15: Peepers call from the marsh.March 16–20: Woodcocks spiral at dusk.March 21–25: Equinox — light overtakes dark.March 26–31: Forsythia opens along the fences.April 1–5: Cherry blossoms drift like snow.April 6–10: Warblers appear in the understory.April 11–15: Magnolias bloom and fall in a day.April 16–20: Dogwoods float above the forest.April 21–25: Lilacs perfume the evening.April 26–30: Last frost releases the garden.May 1–5: Warblers flood the Ramble.May 6–10: Tulip poplars light their candles.May 11–15: Shad run up the rivers.May 16–20: Roses open along the stoops.May 21–25: Firefly scouts appear at dusk.May 26–31: Strawberries ripen in the sun.June 1–5: Fireflies rise from the lawn.June 6–10: Elderflowers open in hedgerows.June 11–15: Solstice approaches — longest light.June 16–20: Honeysuckle sweetens the night.June 21–25: Solstice — the sun stands still.June 26–30: Lightning bugs drift through oaks.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Queen Anne's lace lines the roads.July 11–15: Thunder builds each afternoon.July 16–20: Corn reaches for the tassels.July 21–25: Dog days settle in the haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their chorus.August 1–5: Night falls a minute earlier.August 6–10: Sunflowers face the morning.August 11–15: Goldenrod begins to bloom.August 16–20: Crickets pulse through warm nights.August 21–25: First cool morning surprises.August 26–31: Monarchs stage for flight.September 1–5: School buses reappear.September 6–10: Asters purple the roadsides.September 11–15: Hawk migration over the Hudson.September 16–20: Equinox — dark overtakes light.September 21–25: Apples hang heavy on the branch.September 26–30: Geese begin to chevron south.October 1–5: Witch hazel blooms as others fade.October 6–10: Maples begin to blaze.October 11–15: Frost paints the garden black.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Leaves rattle down the gutters.October 26–31: Clocks fall back — dusk at five.November 1–5: Ginkgos drop overnight.November 6–10: Last leaves cling stubbornly.November 11–15: Juncos arrive from the north.November 16–20: Bare branches reveal the sky.November 21–25: First flurries dust the rooftops.November 26–30: Woodsmoke curls through the block.December 1–5: Darkness settles before dinner.December 6–10: Holly and winterberry persist.December 11–15: Shortest day approaches.December 16–20: Ice begins to form at the edges.December 21–25: Solstice — the sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

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

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

The year in Rochester tops out in July (~72°F) and dips lowest in January (~26°F), with July wettest at 3.6 inches and February driest at 2.1 inches.

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January26°2.5″7
February27°2.1″6
March35°2.5″6
April47°3.0″7
May59°2.9″7
June68°3.4″7
July72°3.6″6
August71°3.3″6
September64°3.2″7
October52°3.2″8
November42°2.8″6
December32°2.7″8

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Rochester's January averages 26°F and July 72°F — 46°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 35.1 inches over some 81 days.

Rainfall in Rochester stays even across the calendar: July tops out at 3.6 inches over 6.4 rainy days, and February still logs 2.1 inches across 6.3 — a narrow range for Rochester. That lines Rochester up with places like North Gates, NY, Saint John Fisher College, NY and Rochester Institute of Technology, NY, fed by overlapping storm tracks.

The cool-season window in Rochester starts at late-May, when nights stop freezing — think kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. In Rochester, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past Rochester's frost date. Rochester's window closes around early-October as overnight lows return below freezing. Within Rochester, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Rochester's local frost dates.

Similar climates: North Gates, NY, Saint John Fisher College, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY, Nazareth College, NY, East Rochester, NY.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the emergence of ruby-throated hummingbirds as they return from southern wintering grounds to establish territories around Rochester's gardens and woodland edges.

Apple blossoms typically peak in early May across the region, their white and pink flowers signaling the transition from spring's cool nights to warmer growing season temperatures.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Rochester?
In Rochester, expect the last spring frost near mid-May; Rochester's first autumn frost comes around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Rochester?
July is the wettest month in Rochester, about 3.6 inches on average; the year totals roughly 35 inches.
What is the warmest month in Rochester?
The warmest stretch in Rochester comes in July, around 72°F on average.
What is the coldest month in Rochester?
On average January is the chilliest month in Rochester, about 26°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Rochester?
Frost-hardy sowings begin at mid-May in Rochester; warm-season starts follow two weeks on.
How many rainy days does Rochester get?
Rochester records around 81 days of measurable precipitation annually.
What hardiness zone is Rochester?
Rochester's hardiness zone tracks its winter low; with January near 26°F, check the USDA ZIP map for the exact zone.
What is the 10-day forecast for Rochester?
Rochester'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 Rochester?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Rochester in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Rochester?
Current conditions for Rochester and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Rochester forecast updated?
The Rochester forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Rochester?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Rochester 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 Rochester?
The next few days in Rochester's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Rochester's warm-summer humid continental climate in New York pairs 26°F Januarys with 72°F Julys, 46°F apart across the seasons.

Rochester sees close to 35 inches of precipitation annually, falling across some 81 wet days.

The 46°F gap between Rochester's summer and winter, at 43.2°N, shapes Rochester's frost calendar.

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ZIP codes in Rochester

  • 14608
  • 14609
  • 14606
  • 14607
  • 14604
  • 14605
  • 14627
  • 14620
  • 14621
  • 14619
  • 14615
  • 14614
  • 14617
  • 14611
  • 14610
  • 14613
  • 14612
  • 14642
  • 14602
  • 14603
  • 14638
  • 14639
  • 14643
  • 14644
  • 14646
  • 14647
  • 14649
  • 14650
  • 14651
  • 14653

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.