Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainJanuary in Tuftonboro bites harder than in 93% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Seasons differ by 70°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 68–81°.
A year in Tuftonboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tuftonboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tuftonboro’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Tuftonboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lakeport 2, NH, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tuftonboro’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lakeport 2, NH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tuftonboro
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 Lakeport 2, NH.
Living with Tuftonboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tuftonboro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tuftonboro and its neighbors
Melvin Village has the coldest January nights next door (10°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Tuftonboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuftonboro, NH | 11° | 81° | 49" | 62" |
| Mayfield, NY | 12° | 81° | 46" | 60" |
| Torrington, CT | 15° | 81° | 51" | 59" |
| Ellsworth, ME | 11° | 79° | 48" | 75" |
| St. Marys, PA | 16° | 80° | 46" | 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 Tuftonboro averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Tuftonboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tuftonboro’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Tuftonboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tuftonboro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakeport 2, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 3.4" | 18.8" | 12 | 27 | 10° – 28° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 3.0" | 16.9" | 9 | 25 | 10° – 29° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 3.7" | 9.4" | 11 | 19 | 22° – 40° |
| April | 55° | 31° | 4.0" | 1.6" | 11 | 2 | 39° – 48° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 4.2" | 2.1" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 4.4" | 12.8" | 12 | 15 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 48.5" | 61.9" | 132 | 91 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tuftonboro’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 Tuftonboro’s center.
- Snow: Lakeport 2, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lakeport 2, NH, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Tuftonboro’s climate
What is the weather like in Tuftonboro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tuftonboro in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Tuftonboro get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Lakeport 2, NH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 91 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tuftonboro?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Lakeport 2, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Tuftonboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 170 frost-free days, at Lakeport 2, NH.
What growing zone is Tuftonboro in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tuftonboro?
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 Tuftonboro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tuftonboro.
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.