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First Congregational Church GeorgetownPhoto: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Georgetown · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

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

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 92% of U.S. towns#39Snowiest  of 321 in MA
Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns#135 coldest of 324 in MA
All MA rankings →

A year in Georgetown at a glance

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

Jan35°17° 18" snow
Feb38°18° 17" snow
Mar46°26° 14" snow
Apr57°36°
May68°46° Last frost ~May 31 day 90°+
Jun77°55° 3 days 90°+
Jul82°61° 6 days 90°+
Aug81°60° 3 days 90°+
Sep73°52° 1 day 90°+
Oct62°41° First frost ~Oct 8Wettest
Nov now51°32°
Dec40°23° 13" snow

What stands out about Georgetown’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Georgetown feels like

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

Winter
38° / 20°
16 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
57° / 36°
Last frost around May 3
Summer
80° / 59°
13 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 41°
First frost around Oct 8
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 158 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Groveland, MA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

147
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
100th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
100th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More nights at or below 0° than 73% of U.S. towns
13
days that reach 90°
201st fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Fewer 90° days than 66% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
148th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Georgetown’s 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°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

5.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 67 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Groveland, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.

47"
Rain + melted snow a year
238th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Wetter than 71% of U.S. towns
67"
Snow in a normal winter
39th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns
75 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
20th most of 242 in Massachusetts
More days with snow on the ground than 88% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

18"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Georgetown

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,323 heating degree daysMore heating than 74% of U.S. towns
621 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 76% 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 Groveland, MA.

Living here

Living with Georgetown’s climate

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

The garden window

158 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 8.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 43 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Georgetown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Georgetown and its neighbors

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

Topsfield: January low 18°, July high 82°Middleton: January low 18°, July high 82°North Andover: January low 17°, July high 83°Haverhill: January low 17°, July high 83°Ipswich: January low 19°, July high 80°West Newbury: January low 17°, July high 82°Newburyport: January low 18°, July high 81°Boxford: January low 17°, July high 82°Groveland: January low 17°, July high 82°Rowley: January low 18°, July high 81°Newbury: January low 18°, July high 81°Georgetown: January low 17°, July high 82°GeorgetownBoxfordGrovelandRowleyNewbury
ColderMilder17° to 19°
Groveland16.8° about the same
Georgetown17.2°
Boxford17.2° about the same
Rowley17.9° about the same
Newbury18.3° +1.1°

Climates most like Georgetown’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
Georgetown, MA17°82°47"67"
Kent, NY18°83°48"58"
Warren, PA17°81°45"72"
Cortland, OH18°83°43"68"
Elkins, WV21°82°50"69"

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 Georgetown averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.7°now 29°, was 26°
Spring+1.2°now 46°, was 45°
Summer+1.4°now 69°, was 68°
Fall+1.5°now 52°, was 50°

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 Georgetown compares

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

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns130th coolest of 324 in Massachusetts
Winter cold17° January low
Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns135th coldest of 324 in Massachusetts
Precipitation47" a year
Wetter than 71% of U.S. towns238th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Snow67" a winter
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns39th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
Hot days13 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 66% of U.S. towns201st fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Freezing nights147 a year
More freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns100th most of 323 in Massachusetts
Growing season158 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 86% of U.S. towns35th shortest of 323 in Massachusetts
Month by month

Georgetown weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January35°17°3.5"17.9"122118° – 33°
February38°18°3.3"17.2"112114° – 34°
March46°26°4.4"14.4"121629° – 44°
April57°36°4.1"2.4"11243° – 51°
May68°46°3.7"0.0"13052° – 61°
June77°55°4.1"0.0"12062° – 69°
July82°61°3.6"0.0"10067° – 75°
August81°60°3.5"0.0"9067° – 73°
September73°52°3.8"0.0"9059° – 66°
October62°41°4.7"0.4"11047° – 58°
November51°32°3.9"1.8"11236° – 46°
December40°23°4.5"13.0"121226° – 41°
Year59°39°47.2"67.1"13075
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 14° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Georgetown’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 Georgetown’s center.
  • Snow: Groveland, MA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Groveland, MA, 3 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 Georgetown’s climate

What is the weather like in Georgetown?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Georgetown 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 18°.

How much snow does Georgetown get?

About 67 inches in a normal winter at Groveland, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.

How hot does it get in Georgetown?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Groveland, MA).

When is the first and last frost in Georgetown?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 158 frost-free days, at Groveland, MA.

What growing zone is Georgetown 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 Georgetown?

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 Georgetown getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.