Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Summers in Oakham are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 15°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 85% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.8° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 68–80°.
A year in Oakham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oakham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oakham’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Oakham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Barre Falls Dam, MA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oakham’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ware, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month. 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 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oakham
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Barre Falls Dam, MA.
Living with Oakham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oakham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oakham and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Oakham in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Oakham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham, MA | 15° | 80° | 49" | 43" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
| Lake Hopatcong, NJ | 18° | 82° | 50" | 28" |
| Topsham, ME | 12° | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Oakham averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Oakham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oakham’s place among Massachusetts’.
Oakham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oakham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ware, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3.7" | 11.5" | 11 | 20 | 15° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 3.3" | 12.0" | 9 | 19 | 12° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 4.1" | 8.7" | 11 | 12 | 27° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 4.1" | 0.8" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 3.9" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 4.4" | 9.3" | 11 | 12 | 23° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 49.2" | 43.0" | 128 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oakham’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 Oakham’s center.
- Snow: Ware, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Barre Falls Dam, 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 Oakham’s climate
What is the weather like in Oakham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oakham in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Oakham get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Ware, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oakham?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Barre Falls Dam, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Oakham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Barre Falls Dam, MA.
What growing zone is Oakham in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oakham?
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 Oakham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oakham.
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.