Nights turn raw in New Milford each January, colder than in 88% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 71% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to October, with highs of 63–84°.
A year in New Milford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Milford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Milford’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in New Milford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Milford’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New Milford
89% 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 Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport.
Living with New Milford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New Milford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Milford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of New Milford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like New Milford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Milford, IL | 14° | 84° | 37" | 37" |
| Grimes, IA | 13° | 85° | 36" | 38" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Southport, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 New Milford averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 New Milford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Milford’s place among Illinois’.
New Milford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Milford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 14° | 1.6" | 10.9" | 10 | 20 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 1.6" | 8.5" | 9 | 14 | 12° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 2.3" | 4.9" | 11 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 2.3" | 2.3" | 9 | 2 | 30° – 48° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 1.9" | 9.4" | 10 | 13 | 13° – 37° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 37.0" | 37.1" | 121 | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where New Milford’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 New Milford’s center.
- Snow: Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport, 2.7 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 New Milford’s climate
What is the weather like in New Milford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Milford in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does New Milford get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in New Milford?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport).
When is the first and last frost in New Milford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 174 frost-free days, at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport.
What growing zone is New Milford in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit New Milford?
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 New Milford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Milford.
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.