Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada · CC BY 2.0Waterville Valley gets about 136 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 91 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 70°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on almost every U.S. town. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Waterville Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waterville Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waterville Valley’s place in New Hampshire beside it.
What a year in Waterville Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pinkham Notch, NH, 24 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waterville Valley’s 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°
About 136 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pinkham Notch, NH, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 67 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 165 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Waterville Valley
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Pinkham Notch, NH.
Living with Waterville Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 103 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waterville Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waterville Valley and its neighbors
Thornton the hottest July afternoons (80°, 10° 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 Waterville Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterville Valley, NH | 5° | 70° | 67" | 136" |
| Liberty, NY | 14° | 78° | 53" | 70" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
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 Waterville Valley averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Waterville Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waterville Valley’s place among New Hampshire’s.
Waterville Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Waterville Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pinkham Notch, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 5° | 5.1" | 28.5" | 14 | 30 | 4° – 22° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 4.4" | 27.6" | 13 | 29 | 3° – 22° |
| March | 33° | 14° | 5.2" | 26.4" | 13 | 29 | 15° – 32° |
| April | 46° | 24° | 5.2" | 9.4" | 13 | 15 | 31° – 40° |
| May | 58° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.6" | 15 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| June | 66° | 45° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| July | 70° | 50° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| August | 69° | 49° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| September | 62° | 42° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| October | 50° | 32° | 7.2" | 1.7" | 14 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 6.2" | 12.7" | 14 | 10 | 25° – 35° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 6.2" | 28.9" | 16 | 26 | 14° – 29° |
| Year | 47° | 28° | 67.4" | 135.8" | 165 | 141 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 22°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Waterville Valley’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 Waterville Valley’s center.
- Snow: Pinkham Notch, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pinkham Notch, NH, 24 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Waterville Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Waterville Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 136 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 81 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waterville Valley in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 185 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 4°.
How much snow does Waterville Valley get?
About 136 inches in a normal winter at Pinkham Notch, NH, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 141 days a year.
How hot does it get in Waterville Valley?
July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Pinkham Notch, NH.
When is the first and last frost in Waterville Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 135 frost-free days, at Pinkham Notch, NH.
What growing zone is Waterville Valley 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 Waterville Valley?
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 Waterville Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Waterville Valley.
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.