Rensselaer, New York Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Rensselaer weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Clear——85°48°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast——87°59°+2°
- FridayJun 5Overcast——87°60°0°
- SaturdayJun 6Heavy Showers71%0.62″87°66°0°
- SundayJun 7Drizzle72%—71°59°-16°
- MondayJun 8Overcast24%—78°53°+7°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast——84°56°+6°
Ozone at AQI 41 now. AQI up 16 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 7 by mid-afternoon.
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 41 now. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 7 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 41
- UV peak
- 0.2 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 7
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 2:55 AM
- Moonset
- 11:40 AM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Rensselaer at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 2 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, 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.
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
Rensselaer's warmest month is July (~73°F mean) and its coldest is January (~24°F). Rainfall peaks in July (4.5 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.3 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 2.6″ | 6 |
| February | 27° | 2.3″ | 5 |
| March | 36° | 3.1″ | 7 |
| April | 48° | 3.1″ | 7 |
| May | 60° | 3.4″ | 8 |
| June | 68° | 4.0″ | 8 |
| July | 73° | 4.5″ | 8 |
| August | 71° | 3.8″ | 7 |
| September | 64° | 3.7″ | 6 |
| October | 51° | 3.9″ | 6 |
| November | 41° | 3.0″ | 6 |
| December | 30° | 3.3″ | 7 |
Regional context
Rensselaer sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: New York, NY, Brooklyn, NY, Queens, NY, Manhattan, NY, Bronx, NY.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Rensselaer?
- Rensselaer's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Rensselaer?
- July is the wettest month with about 4.5 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 41 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Rensselaer?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 73°F.
- What is the coldest month in Rensselaer?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 24°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Rensselaer?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Rensselaer get?
- Rensselaer averages about 81 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Rensselaer?
- Rensselaer's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Rensselaer, New York sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 24°F while July averages 73°F — a 49°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Rensselaer receives about 41 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 81 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (42.6°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.