Photo: Jared C. Benedict a.k.a. Redjar at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Winter nights in West Haven are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 83°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 75% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in West Haven at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Haven’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Haven’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in West Haven feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Whitehall, NY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Haven’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rutland, VT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Haven
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 Whitehall, NY.
Living with West Haven’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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. 8.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Haven from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Haven and its neighbors
Dresden 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 West Haven’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 Haven, VT | 11° | 83° | 39" | 75" |
| Greenville, MI | 15° | 82° | 37" | 73" |
| McFarland, WI | 11° | 83° | 38" | 52" |
| Endwell, NY | 16° | 83° | 41" | 87" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
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 West Haven averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
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 Haven compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Haven’s place among Vermont’s.
West Haven weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Haven’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rutland, VT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 2.6" | 18.3" | 13 | 25 | 7° – 29° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 2.2" | 16.0" | 10 | 22 | 8° – 30° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 2.9" | 13.8" | 12 | 17 | 22° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 3.1" | 3.2" | 12 | 2 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 2.9" | 4.7" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 3.1" | 18.3" | 14 | 18 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 39.0" | 74.6" | 143 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where West Haven’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 Haven’s center.
- Snow: Rutland, VT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Whitehall, NY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Haven’s climate
What is the weather like in West Haven?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Haven in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does West Haven get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Rutland, VT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Haven?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Whitehall, NY).
When is the first and last frost in West Haven?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 164 frost-free days, at Whitehall, NY.
What growing zone is West Haven in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Haven?
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 West Haven 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 Haven.
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.