Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Orford
January nights here settle around 8°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 70° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 96% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 66–78°.
A year in Orford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orford’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Orford 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 12 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wentworth, NH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orford’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 67 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glencliff 2, NH, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 144 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orford
96% 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 Wentworth, NH.
Living with Orford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (89%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orford and its neighbors
Bradford the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° 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 Orford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orford, NH | 8° | 78° | 45" | 67" |
| Bucksport, ME | 10° | 79° | 46" | 75" |
| Delhi, NY | 13° | 79° | 46" | 71" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
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 Orford averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
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 Orford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orford’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Orford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glencliff 2, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 8° | 3.1" | 16.8" | 13 | 28 | 6° – 25° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 2.5" | 14.1" | 10 | 27 | 8° – 27° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 3.1" | 13.5" | 12 | 22 | 21° – 38° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 3.5" | 2.9" | 11 | 5 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 26° | 3.4" | 3.4" | 12 | 4 | 30° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 3.9" | 15.9" | 13 | 20 | 17° – 34° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 45.4" | 67.2" | 144 | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Orford’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 Orford’s center.
- Snow: Glencliff 2, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wentworth, NH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 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 Orford’s climate
What is the weather like in Orford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orford in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Orford get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter at Glencliff 2, NH, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 106 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orford?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Wentworth, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Orford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 146 frost-free days, at Wentworth, NH.
What growing zone is Orford in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orford?
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 Orford 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 Orford.
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.