Photo: Terageorge · CC BY-SA 3.0Reading’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Reading at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Reading’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Reading’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Reading feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Reading, MA, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Reading’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Reading, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 17 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Reading
89% 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 Reading, MA.
Living with Reading’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Reading from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Reading and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Reading in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Reading’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, MA | 18° | 83° | 47" | 64" |
| Lake Carmel, NY | 18° | 83° | 48" | 58" |
| Johnstown, PA | 19° | 83° | 47" | 74" |
| Cortland, OH | 18° | 83° | 43" | 68" |
| Ridgefield, CT | 19° | 83° | 50" | 49" |
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 Reading averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Reading compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Reading’s place among Massachusetts’.
Reading weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Reading’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reading, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.5" | 17.2" | 12 | 18 | 18° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 3.4" | 16.2" | 11 | 18 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 4.4" | 13.3" | 13 | 13 | 30° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 4.2" | 2.2" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 3.9" | 1.7" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 4.5" | 12.8" | 13 | 11 | 26° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 47.4" | 63.5" | 138 | 62 |
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 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Reading’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 Reading’s center.
- Snow: Reading, MA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Reading, MA, 1.2 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 Reading’s climate
What is the weather like in Reading?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Reading in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Reading get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Reading, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 17 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Reading?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Reading, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Reading?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 174 frost-free days, at Reading, MA.
What growing zone is Reading in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Reading?
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 Reading getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Reading.
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.