Photo: Dylanvt · CC BY-SA 4.0Essex gets about 86 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Essex at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Essex’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Essex’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Essex feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burlington International Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Essex’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 86 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Essex Junction 1 N, VT, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Essex
91% 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 Burlington International Airport.
Living with Essex’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 70 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Essex from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Essex and its neighbors
Underhill has the coldest January nights next door (8°, 2° colder) and Colchester the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° 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 Essex’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex, VT | 10° | 80° | 42" | 86" |
| Winslow, ME | 9° | 80° | 44" | 86" |
| Oneonta, NY | 13° | 80° | 45" | 83" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Lenox, MA | 14° | 81° | 46" | 77" |
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 Essex averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Essex compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Essex’s place among Vermont’s.
Essex weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Essex’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Essex Junction 1 N, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 10° | 2.5" | 20.4" | 16 | 27 | 6° – 27° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 2.1" | 19.2" | 12 | 26 | 7° – 28° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 2.6" | 16.5" | 13 | 21 | 21° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.4" | 4.4" | 13 | 3 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 39° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 3.2" | 5.8" | 13 | 5 | 31° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 18° | 3.0" | 19.3" | 16 | 20 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 41.8" | 85.9" | 166 | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Essex’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 Essex’s center.
- Snow: Essex Junction 1 N, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burlington International Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Essex’s climate
What is the weather like in Essex?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Essex in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Essex get?
About 86 inches in a normal winter at Essex Junction 1 N, VT, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 101 days a year.
How hot does it get in Essex?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Burlington International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Essex?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 169 frost-free days, at Burlington International Airport.
What growing zone is Essex in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Essex?
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 Essex getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Essex.
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.