Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0West Burke gets about 142 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 71 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 78°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Garden planting can start around May 9; autumn frost returns near October 1.
A year in West Burke at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Burke’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Burke’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in West Burke 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 9 and the first by October 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sutton 2ne, VT, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Sutton, VT, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Burke’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 142 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sutton, VT, falls mostly in February. 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 199 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Burke
98% 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 Sutton, VT.
Living with West Burke’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Burke from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Burke and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Burke yet.
Climates most like West Burke’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Burke, VT | 4° | 78° | 43" | 142" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in West Burke averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 West Burke compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Burke’s place among Vermont’s.
West Burke weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Burke’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sutton, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 4° | 2.8" | 31.3" | 21 | 31 | 4° – 24° |
| February | 28° | 6° | 2.4" | 35.8" | 18 | 29 | 3° – 24° |
| March | 38° | 16° | 2.6" | 23.5" | 17 | 28 | 15° – 36° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 3.3" | 9.2" | 16 | 13 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 4.5" | 1.6" | 17 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 3.2" | 12.0" | 17 | 11 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 3.4" | 27.7" | 21 | 26 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 43.4" | 141.7" | 199 | 138 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where West Burke’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 West Burke’s center.
- Snow: Sutton, VT.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Sutton, VT, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Sutton 2ne, VT, 2.6 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 West Burke’s climate
What is the weather like in West Burke?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 142 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 167 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Burke in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 209 nights a year reach 32° or below and 49 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does West Burke get?
About 142 inches in a normal winter at Sutton, VT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 138 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Burke?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Sutton, VT).
When is the first and last frost in West Burke?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 143 frost-free days, at Sutton, VT.
What growing zone is West Burke in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Burke?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Burke getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Burke.
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.