Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 4.0Summer arrives softly in Witches Woods, cooler than in 86% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 17°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 83% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Tender plants can go out after about April 25; in half of years the first frost comes by October 13.
A year in Witches Woods at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Witches Woods’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Witches Woods’ place in Connecticut beside it.
What a year in Witches Woods feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Southbridge 3 Sw, MA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Witches Woods’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Southbridge 3 Sw, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Witches Woods
93% 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 Southbridge 3 Sw, MA.
Living with Witches Woods’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 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 13.
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 Witches Woods from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Witches Woods and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Witches Woods yet.
Climates most like Witches Woods’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witches Woods, CT | 17° | 81° | 50" | 52" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 82° | 50" | 69" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
| Newton, NJ | 18° | 83° | 47" | 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 Witches Woods averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Witches Woods compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Witches Woods’ place among Connecticut’s.
Witches Woods weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Witches Woods’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Southbridge 3 Sw, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 3.8" | 14.7" | 12 | 16 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 3.3" | 14.7" | 11 | 14 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 4.3" | 9.2" | 11 | 10 | 29° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 4.3" | 1.8" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 3.9" | 1.5" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 4.6" | 10.3" | 12 | 8 | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 49.7" | 52.4" | 140 | 50 |
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 Witches Woods’ 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 Witches Woods’ center.
- Snow: Southbridge 3 Sw, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Southbridge 3 Sw, MA, 8 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 Witches Woods’ climate
What is the weather like in Witches Woods?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Witches Woods in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Witches Woods get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Southbridge 3 Sw, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 50 days a year.
How hot does it get in Witches Woods?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Southbridge 3 Sw, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Witches Woods?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 168 frost-free days, at Southbridge 3 Sw, MA.
What growing zone is Witches Woods in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Witches Woods?
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 Witches Woods getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Witches Woods.
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.