July in Watch Hill stays fresher than in 90% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 24°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.2° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Watch Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Watch Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Watch Hill’s place in Rhode Island beside it.
What a year in Watch Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Westerly State Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Watch Hill’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Groton, CT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; March is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Watch Hill
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Westerly State Airport.
Living with Watch Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Watch Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Watch Hill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Watch Hill yet.
Climates most like Watch Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watch Hill, RI | 24° | 81° | 44" | 25" |
| Princeton, WV | 23° | 82° | 41" | 24" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
| Jeannette, PA | 21° | 83° | 44" | 30" |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 17" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Watch Hill averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 95% 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 Watch Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Watch Hill’s place among Rhode Island’s.
Watch Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Watch Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Groton, CT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 24° | 3.4" | 5.8" | 11 | 7 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 3.0" | 8.3" | 10 | 7 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 31° | 4.3" | 3.9" | 12 | 3 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.8" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 75° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 65° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.2" | 5.2" | 12 | 4 | 31° – 48° |
| Year | 60° | 44° | 44.3" | 24.5" | 128 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Watch Hill’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 Watch Hill’s center.
- Snow: Groton, CT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Westerly State Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Watch Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Watch Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Watch Hill in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Watch Hill get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Groton, CT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Watch Hill?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 65°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Westerly State Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Watch Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 201 frost-free days, at Westerly State Airport.
What growing zone is Watch Hill in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Watch Hill?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Watch Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Watch Hill.
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.