Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Sheldon gets about 80 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 79°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about May 1; in half of years the first frost comes by October 12.
A year in Sheldon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sheldon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sheldon’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Sheldon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 12. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Enosburg Falls 2, VT, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from St Albans Radio, VT, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sheldon’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 80 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at St Albans Radio, VT, is heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sheldon
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 St Albans Radio, VT.
Living with Sheldon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sheldon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sheldon and its neighbors
Enosburgh has the coldest January nights next door (7°, 1° 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 Sheldon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon, VT | 8° | 79° | 43" | 80" |
| Skowhegan, ME | 8° | 80° | 44" | 74" |
| Hamilton, NY | 13° | 79° | 45" | 77" |
| Adams, MA | 13° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
| Rindge, NH | 13° | 80° | 48" | 73" |
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 Sheldon averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Sheldon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sheldon’s place among Vermont’s.
Sheldon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sheldon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from St Albans Radio, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 2.7" | 16.9" | 13 | 23 | 3° – 26° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 2.2" | 18.3" | 10 | 22 | 5° – 26° |
| March | 38° | 20° | 2.7" | 16.2" | 11 | 17 | 20° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 33° | 3.5" | 6.2" | 11 | 3 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 45° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 39° | 4.3" | 1.2" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 3.3" | 5.0" | 11 | 4 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 3.2" | 16.0" | 13 | 17 | 17° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 35° | 43.1" | 79.9" | 137 | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sheldon’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 Sheldon’s center.
- Snow: St Albans Radio, VT.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: St Albans Radio, VT, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Enosburg Falls 2, VT, 5 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 Sheldon’s climate
What is the weather like in Sheldon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 80 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sheldon in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 181 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 3°.
How much snow does Sheldon get?
About 80 inches in a normal winter at St Albans Radio, VT, heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 86 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sheldon?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (St Albans Radio, VT).
When is the first and last frost in Sheldon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 161 frost-free days, at St Albans Radio, VT.
What growing zone is Sheldon in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sheldon?
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 Sheldon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sheldon.
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.