Photo: M.M.Dwyer · CC BY-SA 4.0Stratford gets more rain and snow than 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 24°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 61°. The outdoor season runs from May to June and August to October, with highs of 65–82°.
A year in Stratford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stratford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stratford’s place in Connecticut beside it.
What a year in Stratford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
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, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stratford’s center in zone 7a: 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°
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 49 inches a year; September 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 Stratford
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.
Living with Stratford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stratford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stratford and its neighbors
Shelton has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 4° 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 Stratford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford, CT | 24° | 84° | 49" | 34" |
| Hampstead, MD | 22° | 85° | 48" | 34" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| New Freedom, PA | 21° | 84° | 48" | 29" |
| Erlanger, KY | 23° | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Stratford averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 95% 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 Stratford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stratford’s place among Connecticut’s.
Stratford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stratford’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 | 39° | 24° | 3.6" | 8.5" | 11 | 11 | 23° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 25° | 3.2" | 10.7" | 10 | 12 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 48° | 31° | 4.3" | 7.0" | 11 | 6 | 34° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 40° | 4.4" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 75° | 58° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 53° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 29° | 4.5" | 5.5" | 12 | 5 | 30° – 48° |
| Year | 62° | 44° | 48.6" | 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 20° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Stratford’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 Stratford’s center.
- Snow: Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Stratford’s climate
What is the weather like in Stratford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stratford 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 23°.
How much snow does Stratford 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 Stratford?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 67°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Stratford?
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 Stratford in?
Zone 7a 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 Stratford?
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 Stratford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stratford.
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.