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Climate in Compo · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Compo gets more rain and snow than 77% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year

In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.2° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.

More snow than 67% of U.S. towns#154Snowiest  of 201 in CT
Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns#7Mildest winters  of 208 in CT
All CT rankings →

A year in Compo at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan40°24° 9" snow
Feb41°25° 11" snow
Mar49°32° 7" snow
Apr60°41° Last frost ~Apr 5
May70°50°
Jun79°60° 2 days 90°+
Jul85°67° 5 days 90°+
Aug83°65° 2 days 90°+
Sep76°58° Wettest
Oct65°47°
Nov now54°37° First frost ~Nov 6
Dec44°29° 6" snow

What stands out about Compo’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Compo’s place in Connecticut beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Compo feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
42° / 26°
9 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
60° / 41°
Last frost around Apr 5
Summer
82° / 64°
9 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 47°
First frost around Nov 6
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 216 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

92
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
9th fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Fewer freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
9th fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 63% of U.S. towns
9
days that reach 90°
61st fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Fewer 90° days than 78% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
64th fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Compo’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

25
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 34 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
108th wettest of 208 in Connecticut
Wetter than 77% of U.S. towns
34"
Snow in a normal winter
154th snowiest of 201 in Connecticut
More snow than 67% of U.S. towns
34 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
80th most of 127 in Connecticut
More days with snow on the ground than 62% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Compo

84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.

5,140 heating degree daysLess heating than 54% of U.S. towns
955 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 53% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.

Living here

Living with Compo’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

216 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 6.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Compo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Compo and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Compo in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Westport: January low 24°, July high 85°Southport: January low 24°, July high 84°Fairfield: January low 22°, July high 84°Norwalk: January low 24°, July high 85°Old Hill: January low 23°, July high 85°Coleytown: January low 21°, July high 85°Greens Farms: January low 23°, July high 84°Saugatuck: January low 24°, July high 85°Westport Village: January low 23°, July high 84°Staples: January low 23°, July high 84°Compo: January low 24°, July high 85°CompoGreens FarmsSaugatuckWestport VillageStaples
ColderMilder21° to 24°
Westport Village23.1° about the same
Greens Farms23.3° about the same
Staples23.3° about the same
Compo23.9°
Saugatuck23.9° about the same

Climates most like Compo’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Compo, CT24°85°48"34"
Hampstead, MD22°85°48"34"
New Freedom, PA21°84°48"29"
Buckhannon, WV23°83°50"39"
Erlanger, KY23°85°47"23"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Compo averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).

+2.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 34°, was 31°
Spring+1.9°now 50°, was 48°
Summer+2.2°now 73°, was 71°
Fall+1.9°now 56°, was 54°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Compo compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Compo’s place among Connecticut’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns163rd coolest of 208 in Connecticut
Winter cold24° January low
Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns7th mildest of 208 in Connecticut
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 77% of U.S. towns108th wettest of 208 in Connecticut
Snow34" a winter
More snow than 67% of U.S. towns154th snowiest of 201 in Connecticut
Hot days9 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 78% of U.S. towns61st fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Freezing nights92 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns9th fewest of 208 in Connecticut
Growing season216 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 77% of U.S. towns5th longest of 208 in Connecticut
Month by month

Compo weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Compo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January40°24°3.6"8.5"111124° – 38°
February41°25°3.1"10.7"101221° – 39°
March49°32°4.2"7.0"11635° – 48°
April60°41°4.2"0.9"11046° – 55°
May70°50°3.9"0.0"12056° – 65°
June79°60°4.4"0.0"11066° – 72°
July85°67°4.0"0.0"9071° – 79°
August83°65°4.0"0.0"9070° – 78°
September76°58°4.6"0.0"8064° – 71°
October65°47°4.4"0.1"10052° – 63°
November54°37°3.6"0.9"9041° – 50°
December44°29°4.4"5.5"12530° – 48°
Year62°45°48.3"33.6"12534
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Compo’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Compo’s center.
  • Snow: Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Compo’s climate

What is the weather like in Compo?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Compo in winter?

January nights average 24°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.

How much snow does Compo get?

About 34 inches in a normal winter at Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 34 days a year.

How hot does it get in Compo?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 67°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Compo?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 216 frost-free days, at Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.

What growing zone is Compo in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.

What is the best time of year to visit Compo?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Compo getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 96% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Compo.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.