Schoolhouse No. 5 · Photo: Vonsky87 · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives softly in Hamden, cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 13°. A year here swings 66° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 67–79°.
A year in Hamden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hamden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hamden’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Hamden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Delhi 2 Se, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hamden’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 71 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Delhi 2 Se, NY, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 178 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hamden
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 Delhi 2 Se, NY.
Living with Hamden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 19 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: May, June, July, August and September. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hamden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hamden and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hamden in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hamden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamden, NY | 13° | 79° | 46" | 71" |
| Topsham, ME | 13° | 79° | 48" | 67" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
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 Hamden averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Hamden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hamden’s place among New York’s.
Hamden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hamden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Delhi 2 Se, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 13° | 3.0" | 17.1" | 19 | 12° – 30° |
| February | 34° | 14° | 2.6" | 15.3" | 15 | 10° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 3.2" | 16.2" | 16 | 24° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 3.8" | 3.1" | 14 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 4.4" | 0.7" | 14 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 3.4" | 6.3" | 14 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 20° | 3.5" | 11.9" | 18 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 46.2" | 70.6" | 178 |
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 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hamden’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 Hamden’s center.
- Snow: Delhi 2 Se, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Delhi 2 Se, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Hamden’s climate
What is the weather like in Hamden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 71 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hamden in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Hamden get?
About 71 inches in a normal winter at Delhi 2 Se, NY, most of it in January and March.
How hot does it get in Hamden?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Delhi 2 Se, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Hamden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 132 frost-free days, at Delhi 2 Se, NY.
What growing zone is Hamden in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hamden?
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 Hamden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hamden.
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.