Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Chester gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 80°. The wettest month is October; the driest is February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Chester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chester’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Chester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Springfield Hartness Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chester’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 91 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ludlow, VT, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chester
95% 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 Springfield Hartness Airport.
Living with Chester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chester from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chester and its neighbors
Andover has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 2° colder) and Springfield the hottest July afternoons (82°, 2° 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 Chester’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester, VT | 10° | 80° | 49" | 91" |
| Ellsworth, ME | 11° | 79° | 48" | 75" |
| Sidney, NY | 13° | 80° | 45" | 79" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
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 Chester averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
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 Chester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chester’s place among Vermont’s.
Chester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chester’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ludlow, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 10° | 3.7" | 21.0" | 15 | 9° – 28° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 3.1" | 17.5" | 13 | 8° – 28° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 3.6" | 20.7" | 14 | 22° – 40° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 4.2" | 5.6" | 12 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 14 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 4.9" | 1.0" | 11 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 3.8" | 7.6" | 13 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 18° | 4.4" | 17.1" | 15 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 48.6" | 90.6" | 156 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chester’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 Chester’s center.
- Snow: Ludlow, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Springfield Hartness Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Chester’s climate
What is the weather like in Chester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chester in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Chester get?
About 91 inches in a normal winter at Ludlow, VT, most of it in January and March.
How hot does it get in Chester?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Springfield Hartness Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Chester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 143 frost-free days, at Springfield Hartness Airport.
What growing zone is Chester in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chester?
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 Chester 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 Chester.
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.