Norton gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 170 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 76°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 63–76°.
A year in Norton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norton’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Norton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Averill, VT, 6 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norton’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Island Pond, VT, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 193 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norton
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 Averill, VT.
Living with Norton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 25 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 59 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Norton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Norton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton, VT | 5° | 76° | 46" | 115" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
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 Norton averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Norton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norton’s place among Vermont’s.
Norton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Island Pond, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 5° | 3.4" | 25.3" | 17 | 30 | 2° – 23° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 2.7" | 26.1" | 14 | 28 | 2° – 24° |
| March | 36° | 15° | 2.8" | 22.1" | 14 | 29 | 15° – 35° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 3.5" | 5.7" | 14 | 11 | 34° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 41° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 16 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 53° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 4.4" | 1.4" | 17 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 40° | 25° | 3.4" | 8.8" | 17 | 10 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 29° | 13° | 3.6" | 25.1" | 19 | 26 | 13° – 33° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 46.3" | 114.9" | 193 | 135 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 23°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Norton’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 Norton’s center.
- Snow: Island Pond, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Averill, VT, 6 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Norton’s climate
What is the weather like in Norton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 181 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norton in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 199 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Norton get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at Island Pond, VT, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 135 days a year.
How hot does it get in Norton?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Averill, VT.
When is the first and last frost in Norton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 120 frost-free days, at Averill, VT.
What growing zone is Norton in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norton?
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 Norton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norton.
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.