Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Mountain Lakes sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Expect July afternoons of about 79°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Mountain Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mountain Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mountain Lakes’ place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Mountain Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benton 5 Sw, NH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mountain Lakes’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at South Newbury, VT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mountain Lakes
97% 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 Benton 5 Sw, NH.
Living with Mountain Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mountain Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mountain Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mountain Lakes yet.
Climates most like Mountain Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lakes, NH | 7° | 79° | 41" | 66" |
| Old Town, ME | 9° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
| Canton, NY | 8° | 80° | 39" | 77" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Kronenwetter, WI | 6° | 80° | 34" | 64" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Mountain Lakes averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Mountain Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mountain Lakes’ place among New Hampshire’s.
Mountain Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mountain Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from South Newbury, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 7° | 2.6" | 17.4" | 10 | 6° – 25° |
| February | 31° | 9° | 2.2" | 13.1" | 8 | 6° – 27° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 2.6" | 13.4" | 10 | 19° – 38° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 3.2" | 2.8" | 10 | 37° – 46° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 4.4" | 0.7" | 11 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 26° | 3.0" | 1.3" | 9 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 3.3" | 17.0" | 11 | 17° – 35° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 41.0" | 65.7" | 122 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Mountain Lakes’ 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 Mountain Lakes’ center.
- Snow: South Newbury, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benton 5 Sw, NH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher; 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 Mountain Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Mountain Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mountain Lakes in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Mountain Lakes get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at South Newbury, VT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Mountain Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Benton 5 Sw, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Mountain Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 133 frost-free days, at Benton 5 Sw, NH.
What growing zone is Mountain Lakes in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mountain Lakes?
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 Mountain Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mountain Lakes.
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.