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Central Street, Brookfield, MAPhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Climate in Brookfield · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Brookfield’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 90% of U.S. towns#45Snowiest  of 321 in MA
Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns#68 coldest of 324 in MA
All MA rankings →

A year in Brookfield at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan34°16° 13" snow
Feb37°18° 17" snow
Mar45°25° 14" snow
Apr58°35° Last frost ~Apr 284" snow
May69°45°
Jun76°54° 1 day 90°+
Jul81°60° 2 days 90°+
Aug80°58° 1 day 90°+
Sep73°50°
Oct61°39° First frost ~Oct 15Wettest
Nov now50°31°
Dec39°22° 14" snow

What stands out about Brookfield’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brookfield’s place in Massachusetts beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Brookfield feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
37° / 19°
18 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
57° / 35°
Last frost around Apr 28
Summer
79° / 58°
5 days reach 90°
Fall
61° / 40°
First frost around Oct 15
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 169 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Brimfield Lake, MA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

150
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
64th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More freezing nights than 85% of U.S. towns
9
nights at or below 0°
49th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More nights at or below 0° than 82% of U.S. towns
5
days that reach 90°
57th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Brookfield’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

2.3
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 64 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at E Brimfield Lake, MA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
118th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Wetter than 81% of U.S. towns
64"
Snow in a normal winter
45th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
More snow than 90% of U.S. towns
64 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
58th most of 242 in Massachusetts
More days with snow on the ground than 83% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.8"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

17"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Brookfield

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.

6,566 heating degree daysMore heating than 80% of U.S. towns
523 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at E Brimfield Lake, MA.

Living here

Living with Brookfield’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

169 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 15.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brookfield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Brookfield and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Brookfield in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Charlton: January low 16°, July high 81°Warren: January low 16°, July high 81°Ware: January low 16°, July high 82°New Braintree: January low 15°, July high 81°Southbridge Town: January low 17°, July high 82°Holland: January low 17°, July high 81°Brimfield: January low 16°, July high 81°East Brookfield: January low 16°, July high 81°West Brookfield: January low 15°, July high 81°North Brookfield: January low 16°, July high 81°Sturbridge: January low 17°, July high 81°Brookfield: January low 16°, July high 81°BrookfieldEast BrookfieldWest BrookfieldNorth BrookfieldSturbridge
ColderMilder15° to 17°
West Brookfield15.4° about the same
North Brookfield15.5° about the same
East Brookfield15.7° about the same
Brookfield16.0°
Sturbridge16.6° about the same

Climates most like Brookfield’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Brookfield, MA16°81°49"64"
Meadville, PA18°81°45"64"
Walton, NY13°80°47"71"
Elkins, WV21°82°50"69"
Topsham, ME12°79°48"67"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Brookfield averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 74% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 28°, was 25°
Spring+1.2°now 46°, was 45°
Summer+1.3°now 68°, was 67°
Fall+1.4°now 51°, was 49°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Brookfield compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brookfield’s place among Massachusetts’.

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns80th coolest of 324 in Massachusetts
Winter cold16° January low
Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns68th coldest of 324 in Massachusetts
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 81% of U.S. towns118th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Snow64" a winter
More snow than 90% of U.S. towns45th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
Hot days5 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns57th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Freezing nights150 a year
More freezing nights than 85% of U.S. towns64th most of 323 in Massachusetts
Growing season169 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 73% of U.S. towns142nd shortest of 323 in Massachusetts
Month by month

Brookfield weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brookfield’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from E Brimfield Lake, MA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January34°16°3.7"13.4"131916° – 32°
February37°18°3.3"16.8"111813° – 34°
March45°25°4.2"13.6"121328° – 44°
April58°35°4.1"3.8"12142° – 50°
May69°45°3.7"0.0"14051° – 62°
June76°54°4.4"0.0"11062° – 68°
July81°60°4.1"0.0"11066° – 75°
August80°58°4.5"0.0"12066° – 73°
September73°50°4.2"0.0"10058° – 65°
October61°39°4.8"0.1"11046° – 57°
November50°31°3.8"2.0"11235° – 45°
December39°22°4.4"13.8"121224° – 41°
Year58°38°49.1"63.5"13964
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Brookfield’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 Brookfield’s center.
  • Snow: E Brimfield Lake, MA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Brimfield Lake, MA, 5 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 Brookfield’s climate

What is the weather like in Brookfield?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Brookfield in winter?

January nights average 16°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.

How much snow does Brookfield get?

About 64 inches in a normal winter at E Brimfield Lake, MA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.

How hot does it get in Brookfield?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (E Brimfield Lake, MA).

When is the first and last frost in Brookfield?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 169 frost-free days, at E Brimfield Lake, MA.

What growing zone is Brookfield in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.

What is the best time of year to visit Brookfield?

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 Brookfield getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brookfield.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.