Photo: Alex756 · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers in East Lyme are cooler than in 76% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 22°. Seasons differ by 61°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 66% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 64–83°.
A year in East Lyme at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Lyme’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Lyme’s place in Connecticut beside it.
What a year in East Lyme feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 194 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Groton New London Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Lyme’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Groton, CT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in East Lyme
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Groton New London Airport.
Living with East Lyme’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
194 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 58 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Lyme from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Lyme and its neighbors
Salem has the coldest January nights next door (20°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like East Lyme’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lyme, CT | 22° | 83° | 46" | 25" |
| Jeannette, PA | 21° | 83° | 44" | 30" |
| Bridgeport, WV | 23° | 84° | 47" | 24" |
| Richlands, VA | 24° | 83° | 46" | 18" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in East Lyme averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How East Lyme compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Lyme’s place among Connecticut’s.
East Lyme weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Lyme’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Groton, CT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.5" | 5.8" | 11 | 7 | 22° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 3.0" | 8.3" | 10 | 7 | 20° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 30° | 4.2" | 3.9" | 12 | 3 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.8" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 64° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 44° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 4.3" | 5.2" | 12 | 4 | 29° – 47° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 46.1" | 24.5" | 128 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where East Lyme’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 East Lyme’s center.
- Snow: Groton, CT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Groton New London Airport, 9 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 East Lyme’s climate
What is the weather like in East Lyme?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Lyme in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 107 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does East Lyme get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Groton, CT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in East Lyme?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 64°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Groton New London Airport).
When is the first and last frost in East Lyme?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 194 frost-free days, at Groton New London Airport.
What growing zone is East Lyme in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit East Lyme?
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 East Lyme getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Lyme.
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.