Truro Highlands Historic District · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Truro
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 25°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 63% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Truro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Truro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Truro’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Truro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chatham Muni Airport, 23 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Truro’s 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 46 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Truro
92% 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 Muni Airport.
Living with Truro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 78 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Truro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Truro and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Truro in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Truro averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
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 Truro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Truro’s place among Massachusetts’.
Truro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Truro’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 25° | 4.0" | 23° – 38° |
| February | 39° | 25° | 3.3" | 22° – 38° |
| March | 44° | 30° | 4.4" | 32° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 42° – 50° |
| May | 63° | 47° | 3.2" | 50° – 59° |
| June | 71° | 56° | 3.5" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 63° | 2.5" | 66° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 62° | 3.3" | 67° – 74° |
| September | 71° | 56° | 3.9" | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 47° | 4.5" | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 4.2" | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 30° | 4.7" | 31° – 46° |
| Year | 58° | 43° | 45.7" |
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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Truro’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 Truro’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chatham Muni Airport, 23 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 Truro’s climate
What is the weather like in Truro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 25°. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Truro in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Truro?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 63°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Chatham Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Truro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 206 frost-free days, at Chatham Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Truro 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 Truro?
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 Truro 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 Truro.
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.