Rifton, New York Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Rifton weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Clear——85°50°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——89°59°+4°
- SaturdayJun 6Heavy Drizzle35%0.01″90°66°+1°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle34%0.01″80°57°-10°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——80°47°0°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast——86°53°+6°
- WednesdayJun 10Partly Cloudy——88°55°+2°
AQI 52 (Moderate), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). Ozone at AQI 38 now. With UV 0.0 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 6 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 38 now. With UV 0.0 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 6 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 38
- UV peak
- 0.0 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 6
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
- 4:00 AM
- Moonset
- 1:56 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Rifton at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 7°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 27 (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 5, 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 — Rifton
SPC has placed Rifton in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3MRGLMarginal Risk
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
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.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Rifton's warmest month is July (~73°F mean) and its coldest is January (~27°F). Rainfall peaks in October (4.6 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 3.5″ | 7 |
| February | 29° | 2.8″ | 6 |
| March | 37° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| April | 49° | 3.9″ | 7 |
| May | 60° | 3.5″ | 9 |
| June | 68° | 4.6″ | 9 |
| July | 73° | 4.5″ | 7 |
| August | 72° | 4.3″ | 7 |
| September | 64° | 4.6″ | 6 |
| October | 52° | 4.6″ | 7 |
| November | 42° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| December | 33° | 3.8″ | 8 |
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Rifton?
- Rifton's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Rifton?
- October is the wettest month with about 4.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 47 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Rifton?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 73°F.
- What is the coldest month in Rifton?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 27°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Rifton?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Rifton get?
- Rifton averages about 84 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Rifton?
- Rifton'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
Rifton, New York sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 27°F while July averages 73°F — a 46°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Rifton receives about 47 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 84 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (41.8°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.