Photo: Beyond My Ken3 · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives softly in Chilmark, cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 25°. Temperatures cover 55° across the year, low to high. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 68% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Chilmark at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chilmark’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chilmark’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Chilmark feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vineyard Haven Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chilmark’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Edgartown, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. 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 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chilmark
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Vineyard Haven Airport.
Living with Chilmark’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chilmark from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chilmark and its neighbors
West Tisbury has the coldest January nights next door (24°, 1° colder) and Gosnold 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 Chilmark’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilmark, MA | 25° | 80° | 47" | 25" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
| Princeton, WV | 23° | 82° | 41" | 24" |
| Shamokin, PA | 19° | 82° | 46" | 34" |
| 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 Chilmark averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Chilmark compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chilmark’s place among Massachusetts’.
Chilmark weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chilmark’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Edgartown, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 25° | 3.9" | 8.8" | 12 | 6 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 26° | 3.5" | 8.1" | 10 | 7 | 22° – 39° |
| March | 46° | 31° | 4.9" | 4.7" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| May | 65° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 64° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 64° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.8" | 3.4" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 48° |
| Year | 59° | 44° | 46.7" | 25.3" | 128 | 20 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chilmark’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 Chilmark’s center.
- Snow: Edgartown, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vineyard Haven Airport, 11 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 Chilmark’s climate
What is the weather like in Chilmark?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chilmark in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Chilmark get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Edgartown, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chilmark?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 64°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Vineyard Haven Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Chilmark?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 156 frost-free days, at Vineyard Haven Airport.
What growing zone is Chilmark in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chilmark?
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 Chilmark getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chilmark.
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.