Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0Nights turn raw in Charlestown each January, colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 87% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 9; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Charlestown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Charlestown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Charlestown’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Charlestown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N Springfield Lake, VT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Charlestown’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walpole 3, NH, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Charlestown
95% 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 N Springfield Lake, VT.
Living with Charlestown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Charlestown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Charlestown and its neighbors
Unity has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 1° colder) and Claremont the hottest July afternoons (82°, 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 Charlestown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown, NH | 11° | 81° | 44" | 60" |
| Augusta, ME | 10° | 80° | 45" | 69" |
| Norwich, NY | 14° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| McFarland, WI | 11° | 83° | 38" | 52" |
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 Charlestown averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Charlestown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Charlestown’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Charlestown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Charlestown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walpole 3, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 3.1" | 14.9" | 11 | 26 | 10° – 28° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 2.6" | 15.9" | 8 | 25 | 10° – 29° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 3.1" | 11.7" | 9 | 21 | 23° – 41° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.4" | 11 | 3 | 39° – 48° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 4.8" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 3.3" | 2.7" | 10 | 3 | 33° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 18° | 3.9" | 11.0" | 11 | 19 | 20° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 44.4" | 59.9" | 129 | 97 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Charlestown’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 Charlestown’s center.
- Snow: Walpole 3, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Springfield Lake, VT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Charlestown’s climate
What is the weather like in Charlestown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Charlestown in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Charlestown get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Walpole 3, NH, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 97 days a year.
How hot does it get in Charlestown?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (N Springfield Lake, VT).
When is the first and last frost in Charlestown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 146 frost-free days, at N Springfield Lake, VT.
What growing zone is Charlestown in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Charlestown?
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 Charlestown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Charlestown.
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.