Niagara Falls - Climate

SPRING: In the spring, the daily high temperatures in March, April and May range from 5° to 19° degrees Celsius (41° - 66° degrees Fahrenheit). Nightly temperatures range from -3° to 8° degrees Celsius (26º to 46° degrees Fahrenheit). Outdoor camping before mid-May is not advisable. Snowfall season usually ends by mid-April. Lake Erie ice and water temperature may effect surrounding land mass with cooler than normal breezes. Mixed weather patterns prevail.

SUMMER: In the summer, the daily high temperatures in June July and August range from 25° to 21° degrees Celsius (75º to 81° degrees Fahrenheit ). Nightly temperatures range from 14° to 17° degrees Celsius (57° to 63° degrees Fahrenheit). Weather is generally bright and sunny. Rainfall has been sporadic during past several years with near drought conditions. Storms are moderated by nearby Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Storms are seldom severe. In summer, lake waters are normally cooler than air temperature. Lake Erie's water temperature normally ranges from 22° to 25° degrees Celsius (73° to 77° degrees Fahrenheit). Cooling lake breezes are often a relief from sometimes hot and humid weather experienced in summer.

FALL: In the fall, the daily high temperatures in September, October and November range from 22° to 8° degrees Celsius (72° to 46° degrees Fahrenheit). Nightly temperatures range from 13° to 1° degrees Celsius (55° to 34° degrees Fahrenheit). It is unlikely to snow prior to the end of October. First killing frost and/or snowfall be expected by late October or early November. Mixed weather patterns prevail. Rain and cloudy skies are common.

WINTER: In the winter, the daily high temperatures in December, January and February range from 2° to -0.9° degrees Celsius (36° to 30° degrees Fahrenheit). Nightly temperatures range from -4.5° to -8.2° degrees Celsius (24° to 17° degrees Fahrenheit). Arctic high pressure generally dominates during the winter months bringing cold and clear days. Snow is moderate. Snow storms are infrequent. Lake effect snowfalls are mainly localized to areas near Buffalo and southward. Lake temperatures are generally warmer than the surrounding air temperatures which sets up dynamics required for lake effect snow. Lake Erie, during extended cold weather will freeze over completely. This eliminates the lake effect snow mechanism but become a less of a temperate moderating factor upon the surrounding land mass. During the past two years, winters have been milder than most, resulting in Lake Erie not freezing over.

Niagara Falls Average Daily Temperatures
Month of Year
	Celsius Degrees		Fahrenheit Degrees
	High	Low	High	Low
January	-0.9	-8.2	30.4	17.2
February	0.2	-7.7	31.6	18.1
March	4.8	-3.5	40.6	25.7
April	12.4	2.1	54.3	35.8
May	19.0	7.9	66.2	46.2
June	24.6	13.9	76.3	57.0
July	27.2	16.8	81.0	62.2
August	26.2	16.4	79.2	61.5
September	22.0	12.6	71.6	54.7
October	15.5	6.8	59.9	44.2
November	8.0	1.1	46.4	34.0
December	2.1	-4.5	35.8	23.9

AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEPT	OCT	NOV	DEC	TOTAL
MILLIMETERS	73.1	71.6	63.6	75.4	74.7	80.6	68.4	79.1	76.0	76.3	75.5	93.8	909.2
INCHES	2.9	2.8	2.5	3.0	2.9	3.2	2.7	3.1	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.7	35.8

The Niagara area is in the northern most part of the Carolinian zone which extends from the southern Carolinas northward between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains, just reaching into Southern Ontario.

The Great Lakes (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario) provide moderating factors upon the temperatures and types of weather in Niagara. Studies have shown that only 15% of the original Carolinian forests remain. Most areas have been developed for agriculture or urban areas. Ninety-nine percent of the Niagara land is now under private ownership.

In 1894, the chief gardener of the Niagara Parks commission reported that there were 909 separate species of flowering and fern like plants growing in the area of Niagara Falls. Over 70 species of trees are found growing in Niagara. Although many evergreen species are found such as pine, hemlock spruce and cedar, the trees are dominated by deciduous trees consisting of broad leaf hardwood trees such as sugar maple, beech, red oak, white oak and bur oak. Others include black walnut, sycamore, white oak, shag-bark hickory and rock elm. The occasional tulip tree, black cherry and paw paw are also found.

Common shrubs include dogwoods, high bush cranberry, common elder, staghorn sumac, and wild raspberry.

Typical Carolinian plants found in Niagara include: purple bitter cress, sandbur, Carolina spring beauty, horse balm or stoneroot, yam root, white trout lily, swamp rose mallow, yellow star grass, spike blazing star, yellow flax, wild lupine, Virginia blue bells, broad-beech fern and pokeweed.

Vines that can be found her include: Virginia creeper and the river bank grape. Herbaceous plants and weeds include: New England aster, evening primrose, butterfly weed, dandelion, milkweed, goldenrod and all the ragweed's.

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