Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0Stratford gets about 79 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 75°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 66–75°.
A year in Stratford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stratford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stratford’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Stratford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at York Pond, NH, 17 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stratford’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 79 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at N Stratford, NH, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 177 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stratford
98% 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 York Pond, NH.
Living with Stratford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 111 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stratford from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stratford and its neighbors
Northumberland the hottest July afternoons (79°, 5° 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 Stratford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford, NH | 4° | 75° | 47" | 79" |
| Corinth, NY | 9° | 77° | 51" | 60" |
| Houlton, ME | 4° | 78° | 42" | 96" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
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 Stratford averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Stratford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stratford’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Stratford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stratford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Stratford, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 4° | 3.2" | 16.9" | 16 | 29 | 1° – 22° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 2.7" | 19.9" | 14 | 27 | 3° – 23° |
| March | 35° | 14° | 3.1" | 13.9" | 13 | 24 | 14° – 34° |
| April | 48° | 27° | 3.6" | 5.3" | 14 | 5 | 33° – 43° |
| May | 62° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 47° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 53° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| August | 73° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 66° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.4" | 15 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 3.6" | 5.2" | 15 | 6 | 26° – 37° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 3.8" | 17.4" | 19 | 24 | 13° – 31° |
| Year | 50° | 30° | 47.3" | 79.1" | 177 | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 22°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Stratford’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 Stratford’s center.
- Snow: N Stratford, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: York Pond, NH, 17 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 Stratford’s climate
What is the weather like in Stratford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 79 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 151 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stratford in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Stratford get?
About 79 inches in a normal winter at N Stratford, NH, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 116 days a year.
How hot does it get in Stratford?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (York Pond, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Stratford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 122 frost-free days, at York Pond, NH.
What growing zone is Stratford in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stratford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Stratford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stratford.
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.