Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0Brighton gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 170 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 77°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Brighton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brighton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brighton’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Brighton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Island Pond, VT, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brighton’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Island Pond, VT, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 193 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brighton
98% 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 Island Pond, VT.
Living with Brighton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4a. 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 Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brighton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brighton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Brighton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Brighton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton, VT | 4° | 77° | 44" | 115" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
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 Brighton averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Brighton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brighton’s place among Vermont’s.
Brighton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brighton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Island Pond, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | 2.9" | 25.3" | 17 | 30 | 2° – 24° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 2.4" | 26.1" | 14 | 28 | 2° – 24° |
| March | 37° | 15° | 2.6" | 22.1" | 14 | 29 | 15° – 36° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 3.3" | 5.7" | 14 | 11 | 34° – 45° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 16 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 4.5" | 1.4" | 17 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 25° | 3.3" | 8.8" | 17 | 10 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 13° | 3.4" | 25.1" | 19 | 26 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 44.2" | 114.9" | 193 | 135 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Brighton’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 Brighton’s center.
- Snow: Island Pond, VT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Island Pond, VT, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Brighton’s climate
What is the weather like in Brighton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 167 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brighton in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Brighton get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at Island Pond, VT, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 135 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brighton?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Island Pond, VT.
When is the first and last frost in Brighton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 129 frost-free days, at Island Pond, VT.
What growing zone is Brighton in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brighton?
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 Brighton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brighton.
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.