Photo: Henry Hudson Kitson · Public domainWet weather: 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Lexington, more than in 74% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 71% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.0°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about April 27; in half of years the first frost comes by October 13.
A year in Lexington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lexington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lexington’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Lexington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 13. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bedford Hanscom Fld, MA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Bedford, MA, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lexington’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bedford, MA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lexington
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bedford, MA.
Living with Lexington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 66 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lexington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lexington and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lexington in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lexington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington, MA | 18° | 84° | 48" | 59" |
| Shawangunk, NY | 17° | 84° | 48" | 59" |
| Franklin, PA | 19° | 83° | 45" | 54" |
| Cortland, OH | 18° | 83° | 43" | 68" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lexington averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Lexington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lexington’s place among Massachusetts’.
Lexington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lexington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bedford, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.6" | 16.1" | 13 | 20 | 18° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 19° | 3.4" | 12.5" | 11 | 19 | 15° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 4.4" | 12.9" | 13 | 13 | 30° – 45° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 4.2" | 2.3" | 13 | 1 | 44° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 4.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.9" | 1.9" | 13 | 2 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 4.6" | 13.2" | 13 | 13 | 26° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 39° | 47.7" | 59.0" | 142 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lexington’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 Lexington’s center.
- Snow: Bedford, MA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Bedford, MA, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Bedford Hanscom Fld, 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 Lexington’s climate
What is the weather like in Lexington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lexington in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Lexington get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Bedford, MA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lexington?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Bedford, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Lexington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 169 frost-free days, at Bedford, MA.
What growing zone is Lexington 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 Lexington?
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 Lexington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lexington.
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.