Northford Center · Photo: Jerry Dougherty · CC BY 2.5More precipitation falls on North Branford than on 78% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 19°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 18 to October 26.
A year in North Branford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Branford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Branford’s place in Connecticut beside it.
What a year in North Branford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Carmel, CT, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Branford’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 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; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Branford
87% 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 Mt Carmel, CT.
Living with North Branford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 56 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Branford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Branford and its neighbors
North Haven the hottest July afternoons (84°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like North Branford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Branford, CT | 19° | 83° | 48" | 34" |
| Shamokin, PA | 19° | 82° | 46" | 34" |
| Manchester, MD | 22° | 84° | 47" | 34" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| New Castle, IN | 19° | 84° | 44" | 25" |
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 North Branford averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 North Branford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Branford’s place among Connecticut’s.
North Branford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Branford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | 3.6" | 8.5" | 11 | 11 | 19° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 3.2" | 10.7" | 10 | 12 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 4.2" | 7.0" | 11 | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 4.4" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 43° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.9" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 4.3" | 5.5" | 12 | 5 | 27° – 44° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 48.4" | 33.6" | 125 | 34 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where North Branford’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 North Branford’s center.
- Snow: Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Carmel, CT, 7 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 North Branford’s climate
What is the weather like in North Branford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Branford in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 123 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 19°.
How much snow does North Branford 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 North Branford?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Mt Carmel, CT).
When is the first and last frost in North Branford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 191 frost-free days, at Mt Carmel, CT.
What growing zone is North Branford in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Branford?
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 North Branford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Branford.
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.