Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0Smith Mills gets more rain and snow than 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 60°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 77% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 29; in half of years the first frost comes by October 15.
A year in Smith Mills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smith Mills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smith Mills’ place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Smith Mills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Bedford Muni Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smith Mills’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New Bedford Coop, MA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smith Mills
91% 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 New Bedford Muni Airport.
Living with Smith Mills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 6.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smith Mills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smith Mills and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Smith Mills in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Smith Mills’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Mills, MA | 22° | 82° | 49" | 33" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| Kinnelon, NJ | 19° | 83° | 49" | 28" |
| Stony Point, NY | 19° | 83° | 50" | 36" |
| Shamokin, PA | 19° | 82° | 46" | 34" |
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 Smith Mills averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Smith Mills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smith Mills’ place among Massachusetts’.
Smith Mills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smith Mills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New Bedford Coop, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.9" | 10.9" | 11 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 3.6" | 8.5" | 11 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 29° | 5.2" | 6.6" | 12 | 32° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 38° | 4.4" | 1.7" | 12 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 64° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 53° | 36° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 39° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 4.8" | 4.4" | 12 | 29° – 46° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 49.1" | 32.5" | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Smith Mills’ 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 Smith Mills’ center.
- Snow: New Bedford Coop, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Bedford Muni Airport, 2.9 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 Smith Mills’ climate
What is the weather like in Smith Mills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smith Mills in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Smith Mills get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at New Bedford Coop, MA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Smith Mills?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 64°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (New Bedford Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Smith Mills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 167 frost-free days, at New Bedford Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Smith Mills in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smith Mills?
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 Smith Mills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smith Mills.
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.