Photo: Rania al-Bahara · CC BY-SA 4.0Bristol gets about 118 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 147 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 66–78°.
A year in Bristol at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bristol’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bristol’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Bristol feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at S Lincoln, VT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bristol’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 118 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Waitsfield 2 W, VT, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bristol
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 S Lincoln, VT.
Living with Bristol’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 21 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bristol from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bristol and its neighbors
Starksboro has the coldest January nights next door (7°, 2° colder) and New Haven the hottest July afternoons (82°, 3° 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 Bristol’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, VT | 9° | 78° | 45" | 118" |
| Cazenovia, NY | 13° | 79° | 44" | 117" |
| Oakland, ME | 9° | 79° | 45" | 86" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
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 Bristol averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Bristol compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bristol’s place among Vermont’s.
Bristol weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bristol’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waitsfield 2 W, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 9° | 2.9" | 26.9" | 16 | 29 | 5° – 27° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 2.3" | 27.2" | 13 | 28 | 5° – 27° |
| March | 39° | 19° | 2.8" | 25.0" | 15 | 26 | 19° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 3.4" | 6.1" | 13 | 7 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 38° | 4.4" | 0.9" | 13 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 3.5" | 7.0" | 13 | 5 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 3.5" | 24.6" | 17 | 24 | 18° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 45.0" | 117.7" | 159 | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bristol’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 Bristol’s center.
- Snow: Waitsfield 2 W, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: S Lincoln, VT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft higher; 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 Bristol’s climate
What is the weather like in Bristol?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bristol in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Bristol get?
About 118 inches in a normal winter at Waitsfield 2 W, VT, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 120 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bristol?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at S Lincoln, VT.
When is the first and last frost in Bristol?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 124 frost-free days, at S Lincoln, VT.
What growing zone is Bristol in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bristol?
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 Bristol getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bristol.
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.