Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0Winter nights in North Adams are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 86% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by October 4.
A year in North Adams at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Adams’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Adams’ place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in North Adams feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at North Adams Harriman Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Adams’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 77 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Worthington, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 158 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Adams
95% 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 North Adams Harriman Airport.
Living with North Adams’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 36 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Adams from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Adams and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of North Adams in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like North Adams’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 44" | 77" |
| Schroeppel, NY | 15° | 81° | 44" | 79" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Brewer, ME | 10° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Swanton, VT | 9° | 80° | 40" | 80" |
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 North Adams averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 North Adams compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Adams’ place among Massachusetts’.
North Adams weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Adams’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Worthington, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 13° | 2.9" | 19.3" | 15 | 26 | 12° – 30° |
| February | 34° | 14° | 2.4" | 18.2" | 12 | 26 | 10° – 30° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 3.1" | 13.8" | 14 | 20 | 25° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.3" | 4.0" | 14 | 3 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 3.3" | 4.6" | 13 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 20° | 3.5" | 16.7" | 14 | 20 | 21° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 44.2" | 77.1" | 158 | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where North Adams’ 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 North Adams’ center.
- Snow: Worthington, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: North Adams Harriman Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower; 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 North Adams’ climate
What is the weather like in North Adams?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Adams in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 149 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 12°.
How much snow does North Adams get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter at Worthington, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 98 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Adams?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (North Adams Harriman Airport).
When is the first and last frost in North Adams?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 147 frost-free days, at North Adams Harriman Airport.
What growing zone is North Adams in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Adams?
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 North Adams getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Adams.
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.