Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Orleans
January mornings start at about 25°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.0° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around April 5; autumn frost returns near November 15.
A year in Orleans at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orleans’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orleans’ place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Orleans feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chatham, MA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orleans’ 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°
About 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chatham, MA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orleans
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Chatham, MA.
Living with Orleans’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orleans from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orleans and its neighbors
Brewster has the coldest January nights next door (24°, 1° colder) and Brewster the hottest July afternoons (78°, 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 Orleans’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans, MA | 25° | 77° | 45" | 25" |
| East Moriches, NY | 24° | 82° | 46" | 32" |
| Covington, WA | 35° | 77° | 49" | 18" |
| Princeton, WV | 23° | 82° | 41" | 24" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 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 Orleans averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Orleans compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orleans’ place among Massachusetts’.
Orleans weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orleans’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chatham, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 25° | 4.0" | 7.5" | 12 | 7 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 26° | 3.3" | 9.9" | 11 | 8 | 23° – 38° |
| March | 44° | 31° | 4.2" | 3.8" | 12 | 4 | 32° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 49° |
| May | 62° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 70° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 77° | 63° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 71° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 31° | 4.8" | 2.6" | 13 | 2 | 32° – 47° |
| Year | 57° | 44° | 45.0" | 24.5" | 127 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Orleans’ 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 Orleans’ center.
- Snow: Chatham, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chatham, MA, 8 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 Orleans’ climate
What is the weather like in Orleans?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orleans in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Orleans get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Chatham, MA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orleans?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Chatham, MA.
When is the first and last frost in Orleans?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 221 frost-free days, at Chatham, MA.
What growing zone is Orleans 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 Orleans?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orleans getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orleans.
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.