Photo: Putneypics · CC BY 2.0Midwinter lows in Westminster sink below those of 92% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 88% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–81°.
A year in Westminster at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Westminster’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Westminster’s place in Vermont beside it.
What a year in Westminster feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Walpole 2s Nepp, NH, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Westminster’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walpole 3, NH, is heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Westminster
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 Walpole 2s Nepp, NH.
Living with Westminster’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 8 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. 26 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Westminster 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 →Westminster and its neighbors
Westminster the hottest July afternoons (83°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Westminster’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster, VT | 12° | 81° | 48" | 60" |
| Gardiner, ME | 11° | 79° | 48" | 69" |
| Windsor, NY | 14° | 80° | 45" | 69" |
| St. Marys, PA | 16° | 80° | 46" | 53" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 49" |
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 Westminster averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Westminster compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Westminster’s place among Vermont’s.
Westminster weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Westminster’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walpole 3, NH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 12° | 3.4" | 14.9" | 11 | 26 | 10° – 29° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 3.0" | 15.9" | 8 | 25 | 10° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 3.5" | 11.7" | 9 | 21 | 24° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.8" | 2.4" | 11 | 3 | 39° – 48° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 4.9" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 3.7" | 2.7" | 10 | 3 | 33° – 43° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 4.3" | 11.0" | 11 | 19 | 21° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 47.8" | 59.9" | 129 | 97 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Westminster’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 Westminster’s center.
- Snow: Walpole 3, NH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Walpole 2s Nepp, NH, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Westminster’s climate
What is the weather like in Westminster?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Westminster in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Westminster get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Walpole 3, NH, heaviest from January through February, about 15 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 97 days a year.
How hot does it get in Westminster?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Walpole 2s Nepp, NH).
When is the first and last frost in Westminster?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 149 frost-free days, at Walpole 2s Nepp, NH.
What growing zone is Westminster in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Westminster?
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 Westminster getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Westminster.
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.