Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0Jay’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 70°
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 3°.
A year in Jay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jay’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Jay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jay Peak, VT, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jay’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 63 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Jay
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Jay Peak, VT.
Living with Jay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 32 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jay and its neighbors
Troy the hottest July afternoons (78°, 9° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Jay averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Jay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jay’s place among Vermont’s.
Jay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jay’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 4.5" | −1° – 21° |
| February | 22° | 5° | 4.0" | −1° – 21° |
| March | 31° | 13° | 4.4" | 12° – 33° |
| April | 43° | 26° | 4.5" | 30° – 40° |
| May | 57° | 38° | 5.1" | 41° – 53° |
| June | 65° | 48° | 6.1" | 54° – 61° |
| July | 70° | 53° | 6.1" | 57° – 65° |
| August | 68° | 52° | 5.8" | 57° – 63° |
| September | 61° | 44° | 5.5" | 48° – 57° |
| October | 48° | 34° | 6.3" | 36° – 49° |
| November | 36° | 23° | 5.0" | 23° – 37° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 5.4" | 11° – 30° |
| Year | 46° | 29° | 62.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 21°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Jay’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 Jay’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jay Peak, VT, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, 330 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 Jay’s climate
What is the weather like in Jay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 3°. Colder January nights than all but 127 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 76 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jay in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How hot does it get in Jay?
July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Jay Peak, VT.
When is the first and last frost in Jay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 138 frost-free days, at Jay Peak, VT.
What growing zone is Jay in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Jay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jay.
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.