Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Nights turn raw in South Hero each January, colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 84% of U.S. towns. A year here swings 70° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 68–82°.
A year in South Hero at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Hero’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Hero’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in South Hero feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at S Hero, VT, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Hero’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at S Hero, VT, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Hero
93% 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 S Hero, VT.
Living with South Hero’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 20.
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 South Hero from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Hero and its neighbors
Peru has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 2° 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 South Hero’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hero, VT | 11° | 82° | 35" | 50" |
| Lisbon, WI | 12° | 82° | 35" | 54" |
| Bath, NY | 15° | 81° | 37" | 48" |
| Big Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| Asbury, IA | 11° | 83° | 38" | 43" |
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.
How South Hero compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Hero’s place among Vermont’s.
South Hero weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from S Hero, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.9" | 11.4" | 11 | 24 |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.6" | 11.6" | 8 | 22 |
| March | 40° | 22° | 2.0" | 10.6" | 10 | 16 |
| April | 54° | 34° | 2.7" | 2.2" | 11 | 2 |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| July | 82° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| August | 80° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| September | 72° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| October | 58° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 |
| November | 46° | 31° | 2.7" | 3.3" | 10 | 3 |
| December | 34° | 21° | 2.2" | 10.9" | 11 | 14 |
| Year | 56° | 38° | 35.0" | 50.1" | 127 | 81 |
Where South Hero’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Vermont).
- Snow: S Hero, VT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: S Hero, VT, 0.5 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.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about South Hero’s climate
What is the weather like in South Hero?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Hero in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does South Hero get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at S Hero, VT, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 81 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Hero?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (S Hero, VT).
When is the first and last frost in South Hero?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 174 frost-free days, at S Hero, VT.
What growing zone is South Hero in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Hero?
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.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Hero.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.