Geography

The Capital District is centered around the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys and surrounded by numerous mountain ranges. Geologic features of northeastern United States, centered on the Capital District

The Capital District's most prominent geological features were formed by glaciers creating its major rivers and valleys through ancient mountain ranges. The Hudson River forms the Hudson Valley which is a north-south running valley through the core of the Capital District while its tributary the Mohawk River forms the Mohawk Valley which runs west from Schenectady, the Schoharie Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk, forms the Schoharie Valley which runs through Schoharie County. Major mountain ranges are the Adirondack Mountains in the northwestern area and the Appalachian Mountains along the southern and eastern sections. The Appalachians include the Rensselaer Plateau in Rensselaer and southeastern Washington counties; the Taconic Mountains along the Washington, Rensselaer, and Columbia counties' borders with Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; the Allegheny Plateau in Schoharie, Greene, and western Albany counties, which includes the Helderberg Escarpment in Albany County; and the Catskill Mountains in Greene County. Major lakes include the Great Sacandaga Lake in Saratoga and Fulton counties, Saratoga Lake in Saratoga County, and Lake George in Warren and Essex counties.

Location Adirondack Mountains North Country Vermont Central New York Massachusetts   Capital District   Southern Tier Mid-Hudson Valley Region Connecticut Climate Albany Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.7   31 13     2.3   34 16     3.2   45 25     3.3   57 36     3.7   70 47     3.8   78 55     3.5   82 60     3.7   80 58     3.3   71 50     3.2   60 39     3.3   48 31     2.8   36 20 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: USTravelWeather.com Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     69   -0 -10     58   1 -9     81   7 -4     83   14 2     93   21 8     95   25 13     89   28 16     93   27 15     84   22 10     82   15 4     84   9 -1     70   2 -7 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

The Capital District has a humid continental climate, with cold, snowy winters, and hot, wet summers. Albany receives around 36.2 inches of rain per year, with 135 days of at least .01 inches of precipitation. Snowfall is significant, totaling about 63 inches annually, but with less accumulation than the lake-effect areas to the north and west, being far enough from Lake Ontario. The core of the region is however, close enough to the coast to receive heavy snow from Nor'easters, and the region gets the bulk of its yearly snowfall from these types of storms. The region also occasionally receives Alberta clippers. Winters are often very cold with fluctuating conditions, temperatures can drop to below 0 °F (−18 °C) at night. Summers in the region can contain stretches of excessive heat and humidity, with temperatures above 90 °F (32 °C) and dew points near 70. Severe thunderstorms are common but tornadoes are rare.

Albany receives on average per year 69 sunny days, 111 partly cloudy days, and 185 cloudy days; and an average, over the course of a year, of less than four hours of sunshine per day, with just over an average of 2.5 hours per day over the course of the winter. The chance during daylight hours of sunshine is 53%, with the highest percentage of sunny daylight hours being in July with 64%, and the lowest month is November with 37%.