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Danielson Main Street Historic District Killingly, ConnecticutPhoto: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Danielson · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Danielson’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 89% of U.S. towns#5Snowiest  of 200 in CT
Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns#60 coldest of 207 in CT
All CT rankings →

A year in Danielson at a glance

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

Jan36°18° 16" snow
Feb39°20° 16" snow
Mar47°27° 13" snow
Apr59°36° Last frost ~Apr 25
May70°46°
Jun78°56° 1 day 90°+
Jul83°62° 2 days 90°+
Aug81°60° 1 day 90°+
Sep74°52°
Oct63°41° First frost ~Oct 19Wettest
Nov now52°32°
Dec42°24° 12" snow

What stands out about Danielson’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Danielson feels like

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

Winter
39° / 21°
15 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
58° / 37°
Last frost around Apr 25
Summer
81° / 59°
4 days reach 90°
Fall
63° / 42°
First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 176 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N Foster 1 E, RI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft higher.

133
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
47th most of 207 in Connecticut
More freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
75th most of 207 in Connecticut
More nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
4
days that reach 90°
36th fewest of 207 in Connecticut
Fewer 90° days than 92% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Danielson’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

1.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 62 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at N Foster 1 E, RI, is heaviest from January through February, about 16 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
85th wettest of 207 in Connecticut
Wetter than 79% of U.S. towns
62"
Snow in a normal winter
5th snowiest of 200 in Connecticut
More snow than 89% of U.S. towns
61 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
15th most of 126 in Connecticut
More days with snow on the ground than 81% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

16"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Danielson

92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,275 heating degree daysMore heating than 73% of U.S. towns
509 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 85% 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 N Foster 1 E, RI.

Living here

Living with Danielson’s climate

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

The garden window

176 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Danielson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Danielson and its neighbors

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

Pomfret: January low 18°, July high 82°Putnam: January low 18°, July high 82°Foster: January low 19°, July high 81°Plainfield: January low 19°, July high 82°Glocester: January low 18°, July high 82°Wauregan: January low 18°, July high 83°Hampton: January low 18°, July high 82°Canterbury: January low 19°, July high 82°East Brooklyn: January low 18°, July high 83°Killingly: January low 18°, July high 82°Brooklyn: January low 18°, July high 83°Danielson: January low 18°, July high 83°DanielsonEast BrooklynKillinglyBrooklyn
ColderMilder18° to 19°
Danielson18.0°
East Brooklyn18.0° about the same
Killingly18.1° about the same
Brooklyn18.2° about the same

Climates most like Danielson’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
Danielson, CT18°83°49"62"
Elkins, WV21°82°50"69"
Johnstown, PA19°83°47"74"
Cortland, OH18°83°43"68"
Frostburg, MD20°82°44"72"

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 Danielson averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 82% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.8°now 30°, was 27°
Spring+1.4°now 48°, was 46°
Summer+1.6°now 70°, was 68°
Fall+1.5°now 52°, was 51°

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 Danielson compares

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

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns60th coolest of 207 in Connecticut
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns60th coldest of 207 in Connecticut
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 79% of U.S. towns85th wettest of 207 in Connecticut
Snow62" a winter
More snow than 89% of U.S. towns5th snowiest of 200 in Connecticut
Hot days4 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 92% of U.S. towns36th fewest of 207 in Connecticut
Freezing nights133 a year
More freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns47th most of 207 in Connecticut
Growing season176 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 63% of U.S. towns85th shortest of 207 in Connecticut
Month by month

Danielson weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Danielson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Foster 1 E, RI. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January36°18°3.8"15.5"121818° – 34°
February39°20°3.3"15.6"111715° – 36°
March47°27°4.4"13.4"121231° – 46°
April59°36°4.3"2.6"12144° – 52°
May70°46°3.5"0.0"14053° – 63°
June78°56°4.1"0.0"12064° – 69°
July83°62°3.7"0.0"11068° – 76°
August81°60°4.0"0.0"10068° – 75°
September74°52°4.2"0.0"10060° – 67°
October63°41°4.7"0.5"12048° – 58°
November52°32°3.9"2.0"11238° – 47°
December42°24°4.6"12.4"121126° – 44°
Year60°40°48.7"62.0"13961
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 15° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Danielson’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 Danielson’s center.
  • Snow: N Foster 1 E, RI.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Foster 1 E, RI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft higher; 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 Danielson’s climate

What is the weather like in Danielson?

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Danielson in winter?

January nights average 18°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.

How much snow does Danielson get?

About 62 inches in a normal winter at N Foster 1 E, RI, heaviest from January through February, about 16 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.

How hot does it get in Danielson?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (N Foster 1 E, RI).

When is the first and last frost in Danielson?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 176 frost-free days, at N Foster 1 E, RI.

What growing zone is Danielson in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.

What is the best time of year to visit Danielson?

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

Is Danielson getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.