Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Barnstable Town’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Barnstable Town at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Barnstable Town’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Barnstable Town’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Barnstable Town feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hyannis, MA, 2.7 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Barnstable Town’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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hyannis, MA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Barnstable Town
92% 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 Hyannis, MA.
Living with Barnstable Town’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
195 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 202 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Barnstable Town from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Barnstable Town and its neighbors
Sandwich has the coldest January nights next door (23°, 1° colder) and Sandwich the hottest July afternoons (81°, 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 Barnstable Town’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | 24° | 80° | 47" | 22" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
| Patchogue, NY | 25° | 82° | 46" | 32" |
| Princeton, WV | 23° | 82° | 41" | 24" |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 17" |
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 Barnstable Town averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Barnstable Town compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Barnstable Town’s place among Massachusetts’.
Barnstable Town weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Barnstable Town’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hyannis, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 24° | 3.9" | 9.5" | 10 | 5 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 3.5" | 6.3" | 10 | 7 | 23° – 38° |
| March | 45° | 31° | 4.8" | 3.6" | 10 | 3 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| May | 64° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 64° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 72° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 47° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.8" | 2.1" | 12 | 2 | 31° – 47° |
| Year | 59° | 44° | 47.2" | 21.5" | 113 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Barnstable Town’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 Barnstable Town’s center.
- Snow: Hyannis, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hyannis, MA, 2.7 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 Barnstable Town’s climate
What is the weather like in Barnstable Town?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Barnstable Town in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Barnstable Town get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Hyannis, MA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Barnstable Town?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 64°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hyannis, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Barnstable Town?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 195 frost-free days, at Hyannis, MA.
What growing zone is Barnstable Town 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 Barnstable Town?
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 Barnstable Town getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Barnstable Town.
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.