Amherst weather in August

In August, Amherst sees average daytime highs of 78°F and overnight lows near 62°F, with 3.2 in of rain across 11.3 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 78°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in August, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Amherst's 1st-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Amherst's year-round climate.

Daytime high
78°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
62°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.2 in
11.3 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:26 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
53%
1st clearest
Wind
7 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.34 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Amherst is town in New York, United States.

Founded
1818

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 78°F through the month.

A typical August day in Amherst reaches about 78°F in the afternoon and slips back to 62°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 84°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 1°F cooler than July and about 6°F warmer than September.

50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17964
27963
37963
47963
57963
67863
77863
87863
97863
107863
117862
127862
137862
147862
157862
167862
177862
187762
197762
207762
217761
227761
237761
247761
257761
267761
277660
287660
297660
307660
317660

How August really feels in Amherst

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Amherst weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 20°2.912.610.79.20.0
Feb33° / 20°2.410.48.110.20.0
Mar42° / 27°2.911.96.111.60.5
Apr55° / 38°3.612.22.313.13.3
May66° / 49°3.312014.45.8
Jun75° / 59°3.812.1015.16.5
Jul79° / 63°3.912.9014.86.3
Aug78° / 62°3.211.3013.86.7
Sep71° / 55°3.210012.36.6
Oct59° / 45°3.512.60.110.84.3
Nov47° / 35°3.011.43.29.51.4
Dec37° / 26°3.012.58.18.90.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in August, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 41%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25941
35941
46040
56040
66139
76139
86139
96139
106139
116040
126040
136040
145941
156040
166040
175941
185941
195842
205842
215842
225842
235842
245743
255842
265842
275842
285842
295842
305743
315842

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Amherst gets around 3.2 in of rain over 11.3 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 37% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
242
341
441
541
640
740
840
939
1039
1139
1239
1339
1439
1538
1638
1738
1837
1937
2036
2135
2235
2334
2434
2533
2633
2732
2832
2932
3032
3132

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the humid band about 30% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1132533244
2132633244
3132633244
4132732244
5132732234
6142732234
7142831234
8152831234
9152831224
10152830224
11162830224
12162930214
13162931214
14162931213
15172931203
16172832203
17172832203
18172832203
19182832203
20182832193
21192831192
22202831192
23202830192
24212830192
25222829192
26232928192
27232927192
28242926182
29253025182
30263024182
31273024172

Wind in August

Winds average 7 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:10 AM to 5:43 AM, and sunset from 7:33 PM to 6:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.45:107:33
214.35:117:32
314.35:127:30
414.35:137:29
514.25:147:28
614.25:157:27
714.25:167:25
814.15:177:24
914.15:187:23
1014.05:197:21
1114.05:217:20
1213.95:227:18
1313.95:237:17
1413.95:247:15
1513.85:257:14
1613.85:267:12
1713.75:277:11
1813.75:287:09
1913.65:297:08
2013.65:317:06
2113.55:327:05
2213.55:337:03
2313.55:347:01
2413.45:357:00
2513.45:366:58
2613.35:376:56
2713.35:386:55
2813.25:406:53
2913.25:416:51
3013.15:426:49
3113.15:436:48

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.34 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.32 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 5.34 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Amherst?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Amherst for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Amherst in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Amherst sees daytime highs around 78°F and nights near 62°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Amherst in August

The nearest coast averages about 74°F in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 34°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 20 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan37Bracing
Feb34Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May48Bracing
Jun62Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct60Cool
Nov50Bracing
Dec43Bracing

UV index in Amherst in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Amherst peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Amherst?

Amherst sits at 43.0°N, 78.8°W, 597 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Eggertsville, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Amherst

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Amherst.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Amherst has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 ft around an average of 617 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,152 ft.

The land around Amherst is covered by artificial surfaces (45%), trees (32%) and grassland (22%) within 2 miles, trees (39%), artificial surfaces (27%) and grassland (23%) within 10 miles, and trees (36%) and water (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
151 ft
10 miles
338 ft
50 miles
2,152 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Eggertsville 1.2 mi · Kenmore 3.7 mi · North Tonawanda 5.6 mi · Cheektowaga 5.6 mi · East Amherst 5.6 mi · Depew 7.5 mi · Buffalo 7.5 mi · Fort Erie 8.7 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Amherst (42.9784°, -78.7998°, elevation 597 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).