Photo: Jessamyn West · CC BY-SA 2.5Winter nights in Orwell are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 82°. A year here swings 72° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 80% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Orwell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orwell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orwell’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Orwell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cornwall, VT, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orwell’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cornwall, VT, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orwell
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 Cornwall, VT.
Living with Orwell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 5 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. 9.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orwell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orwell and its neighbors
Ticonderoga has the coldest January nights next door (8°, 3° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Orwell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orwell, VT | 11° | 82° | 39" | 59" |
| Waunakee, WI | 11° | 82° | 37" | 52" |
| Big Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| Asbury, IA | 11° | 83° | 38" | 43" |
| Wellsville, NY | 15° | 81° | 38" | 61" |
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 Orwell averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Orwell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orwell’s place among Vermont’s.
Orwell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orwell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cornwall, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 2.6" | 13.3" | 11 | 22 | 7° – 29° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 2.1" | 13.3" | 9 | 20 | 7° – 29° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 2.7" | 11.9" | 9 | 15 | 21° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 2.9" | 3.8" | 10 | 3 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 3.0" | 13.4" | 12 | 16 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 39.3" | 58.6" | 129 | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Orwell’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 Orwell’s center.
- Snow: Cornwall, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cornwall, VT, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Orwell’s climate
What is the weather like in Orwell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orwell in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Orwell get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Cornwall, VT, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 78 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orwell?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Cornwall, VT).
When is the first and last frost in Orwell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 151 frost-free days, at Cornwall, VT.
What growing zone is Orwell in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orwell?
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 Orwell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orwell.
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.