Summers in Lake Chaffee are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 17°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 86% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–81°.
A year in Lake Chaffee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Chaffee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Chaffee’s place in Connecticut beside it.
What a year in Lake Chaffee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Staffordville, CT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Chaffee’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Storrs, CT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Chaffee
94% 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 Staffordville, CT.
Living with Lake Chaffee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Chaffee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Chaffee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Chaffee yet.
Climates most like Lake Chaffee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Chaffee, CT | 17° | 81° | 51" | 39" |
| Tamaqua, PA | 18° | 82° | 52" | 43" |
| Hackettstown, NJ | 19° | 84° | 51" | 30" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lake Chaffee averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Lake Chaffee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Chaffee’s place among Connecticut’s.
Lake Chaffee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Chaffee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Storrs, CT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 17° | 3.8" | 8.3" | 10 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 3.2" | 14.1" | 9 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 4.4" | 6.3" | 10 | 28° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 4.3" | 1.7" | 11 | 42° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 4.0" | 1.1" | 9 | 36° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 4.6" | 7.2" | 10 | 25° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 50.8" | 39.0" | 123 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lake Chaffee’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 Lake Chaffee’s center.
- Snow: Storrs, CT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Staffordville, CT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower; 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 Lake Chaffee’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Chaffee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Chaffee in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Lake Chaffee get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Storrs, CT, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Lake Chaffee?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Staffordville, CT).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Chaffee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 159 frost-free days, at Staffordville, CT.
What growing zone is Lake Chaffee in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Chaffee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Chaffee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Chaffee.
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.