Photo: WestportWiki · CC BY-SA 3.0Provincetown’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 79°
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 24°.
A year in Provincetown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Provincetown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Provincetown’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Provincetown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 47 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Provincetown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 7b.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Provincetown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Provincetown and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Provincetown yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Provincetown 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 Provincetown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Provincetown’s place among Massachusetts’.
Provincetown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Provincetown’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 24° | 4.0" | 22° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 3.4" | 22° – 38° |
| March | 45° | 30° | 4.6" | 32° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 42° – 50° |
| May | 63° | 47° | 3.3" | 50° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 56° | 3.6" | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 63° | 2.7" | 67° – 75° |
| August | 78° | 62° | 3.3" | 67° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 56° | 4.0" | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 47° | 4.6" | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 4.3" | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 30° | 4.7" | 31° – 46° |
| Year | 58° | 43° | 46.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Provincetown’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 Provincetown’s center.
- 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 Provincetown’s climate
What is the weather like in Provincetown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Provincetown in winter?
January nights average 24°. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How hot does it get in Provincetown?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Provincetown 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 Provincetown?
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 Provincetown 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 Provincetown.
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.