Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0January in Goffstown bites harder than in 87% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. A year here swings 68° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 69–82°.
A year in Goffstown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Goffstown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Goffstown’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Goffstown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Massabesic Lake, NH, 8 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Goffstown’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Massabesic Lake, NH, is heaviest from January through February, about 17 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Goffstown
93% 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 Massabesic Lake, NH.
Living with Goffstown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 95 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Goffstown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Goffstown and its neighbors
Bedford the hottest July afternoons (83°, 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 Goffstown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goffstown, NH | 14° | 82° | 46" | 53" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
| Carbondale, PA | 16° | 81° | 46" | 47" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
| Newton, NJ | 18° | 83° | 47" | 39" |
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 Goffstown averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Goffstown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Goffstown’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Goffstown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Goffstown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Massabesic Lake, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 3.2" | 15.9" | 9 | 25 | 13° – 30° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 3.1" | 17.6" | 7 | 20 | 12° – 31° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 3.8" | 6.7" | 8 | 14 | 27° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.9" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 42° – 49° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 9 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 20° | 4.1" | 10.6" | 9 | 10 | 23° – 38° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 45.9" | 52.8" | 111 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Goffstown’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 Goffstown’s center.
- Snow: Massabesic Lake, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Massabesic Lake, NH, 8 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Goffstown’s climate
What is the weather like in Goffstown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Goffstown in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Goffstown get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Massabesic Lake, NH, heaviest from January through February, about 17 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Goffstown?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Massabesic Lake, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Goffstown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 164 frost-free days, at Massabesic Lake, NH.
What growing zone is Goffstown in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Goffstown?
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 Goffstown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Goffstown.
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.