Photo: Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats · Public domainShelburne gets about 88 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. Only 71° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 84% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 29 to October 15.
A year in Shelburne at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shelburne’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shelburne’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Shelburne 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, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shelburne’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 88 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burlington International Airport, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 157 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shelburne
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 Shelburne’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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. 47 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shelburne from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shelburne and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Shelburne in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shelburne’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne, VT | 11° | 82° | 38" | 88" |
| Cadillac, MI | 12° | 80° | 35" | 74" |
| Endwell, NY | 16° | 83° | 41" | 87" |
| Orono, ME | 9° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
| Lisbon, WI | 12° | 82° | 35" | 54" |
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 Shelburne averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Shelburne compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shelburne’s place among Vermont’s.
Shelburne weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shelburne’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burlington International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 11° | 2.2" | 21.1" | 15 | 25 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 1.9" | 19.3" | 12 | 24 | 7° – 29° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 2.3" | 17.5" | 13 | 17 | 22° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.0" | 4.1" | 13 | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 2.7" | 5.7" | 14 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 2.7" | 19.5" | 15 | 17 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 37.6" | 87.5" | 157 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Shelburne’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 Shelburne’s center.
- Snow: Burlington International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burlington International Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Shelburne’s climate
What is the weather like in Shelburne?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 88 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shelburne in winter?
January nights average 11°. 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 Shelburne get?
About 88 inches in a normal winter at Burlington International Airport, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shelburne?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Burlington International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Shelburne?
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 Shelburne in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shelburne?
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 Shelburne getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shelburne.
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.