Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Wells River’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Wells River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wells River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wells River’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Wells River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Johnsbury, VT, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wells River’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at South Newbury, VT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wells River
95% 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 Saint Johnsbury, VT.
Living with Wells River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 13 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. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wells River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wells River and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wells River in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wells River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells River, VT | 7° | 81° | 38" | 66" |
| Potsdam, NY | 8° | 80° | 38" | 77" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Washington, WI | 6° | 81° | 34" | 55" |
| Old Town, ME | 9° | 80° | 43" | 75" |
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 Wells River averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Wells River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wells River’s place among Vermont’s.
Wells River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wells River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from South Newbury, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 7° | 2.3" | 17.4" | 10 | 6° – 26° |
| February | 32° | 9° | 2.0" | 13.1" | 8 | 7° – 27° |
| March | 41° | 18° | 2.4" | 13.4" | 10 | 19° – 39° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 2.9" | 2.8" | 10 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 68° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.7" | 11 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.7" | 1.3" | 9 | 30° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 2.9" | 17.0" | 11 | 18° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 37.7" | 65.7" | 122 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Wells River’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 Wells River’s center.
- Snow: South Newbury, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Johnsbury, VT, 18 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 Wells River’s climate
What is the weather like in Wells River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wells River in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Wells River get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at South Newbury, VT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Wells River?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Saint Johnsbury, VT).
When is the first and last frost in Wells River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 143 frost-free days, at Saint Johnsbury, VT.
What growing zone is Wells River in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wells River?
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 Wells River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wells River.
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.