North Pownal has cooler summers than 89% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 14° on average. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 7, with the first autumn frost due around October 8.
A year in North Pownal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Pownal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Pownal’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in North Pownal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pownal 1 Ne, VT, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Pownal’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sunderland 2, VT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 153 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Pownal
95% 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 Pownal 1 Ne, VT.
Living with North Pownal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Pownal from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Pownal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North Pownal yet.
Climates most like North Pownal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Pownal, VT | 14° | 81° | 43" | 75" |
| Schroeppel, NY | 15° | 81° | 44" | 79" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Bangor, ME | 10° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in North Pownal averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
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 North Pownal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Pownal’s place among Vermont’s.
North Pownal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Pownal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sunderland 2, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 2.9" | 18.5" | 14 | 23 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 2.3" | 16.4" | 11 | 21 | 10° – 31° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.9" | 14.0" | 13 | 15 | 25° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 12 | 3 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.7" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 3.4" | 17.4" | 14 | 17 | 21° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 42.7" | 75.2" | 153 | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where North Pownal’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 North Pownal’s center.
- Snow: Sunderland 2, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pownal 1 Ne, VT, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 North Pownal’s climate
What is the weather like in North Pownal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Pownal in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does North Pownal get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Sunderland 2, VT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 83 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Pownal?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Pownal 1 Ne, VT).
When is the first and last frost in North Pownal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Pownal 1 Ne, VT.
What growing zone is North Pownal in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Pownal?
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 North Pownal 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 North Pownal.
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.