Fredonia Commons Historic District · Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY 3.0Pomfret has cooler summers than 93% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 17°. A year here swings 62° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 73% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Pomfret at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pomfret’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pomfret’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Pomfret feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fredonia, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pomfret’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 76 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fredonia, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pomfret
89% 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 Fredonia, NY.
Living with Pomfret’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pomfret from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pomfret and its neighbors
Arkwright has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 3° 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 Pomfret’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomfret, NY | 17° | 80° | 42" | 76" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
| Newmarket, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 65" |
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 Pomfret averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Pomfret compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pomfret’s place among New York’s.
Pomfret weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pomfret’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fredonia, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 3.0" | 26.7" | 14 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 2.3" | 13.0" | 11 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 42° | 25° | 2.7" | 11.6" | 11 | 26° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.3" | 1.4" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 52° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 9 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 3.6" | 5.4" | 10 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 24° | 3.7" | 17.3" | 12 | 21° – 41° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 42.3" | 75.6" | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Pomfret’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 Pomfret’s center.
- Snow: Fredonia, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fredonia, NY, 3 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Pomfret’s climate
What is the weather like in Pomfret?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pomfret in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 113 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Pomfret get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter at Fredonia, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Pomfret?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Fredonia, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Pomfret?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 185 frost-free days, at Fredonia, NY.
What growing zone is Pomfret in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pomfret?
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 Pomfret getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pomfret.
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.