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Whitingham Antiques and Collectibles, Whitingham VTPhoto: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Whitingham · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Whitingham’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 78°

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 11°.

Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns#75 coldest of 85 in VT
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns#5Coolest summers  of 85 in VT
All VT rankings →

A year in Whitingham at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan29°11°
Feb32°12°
Mar39°20°
Apr52°30°
May65°41° Last frost ~May 14
Jun73°50°
Jul78°55° 1 day 90°+
Aug76°54°
Sep69°47°
Oct57°37° First frost ~Oct 4Wettest
Nov now45°27°
Dec34°17°

What stands out about Whitingham’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whitingham’s place in Vermont beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Whitingham feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
32° / 14°
Snow is rare
Spring
52° / 31°
Last frost around May 14
Summer
75° / 53°
90° days are rare
Fall
57° / 37°
First frost around Oct 4
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 143 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rowe 3ne, MA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

Short record. NOAA estimated Rowe 3ne, MA’s counts from 5 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
162
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
48th most of 85 in Vermont
More freezing nights than 92% of U.S. towns
8
nights at or below 0°
85th most of 85 in Vermont
More nights at or below 0° than 80% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 90°
7th fewest of 85 in Vermont
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Whitingham’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°

30
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 53 inches of rain a year

October is the wettest month and February the driest.

53"
Rain + melted snow a year
The wettest of 85 in Vermont
Wetter than 92% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Whitingham

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.

7,945 heating degree daysMore heating than 96% of U.S. towns
167 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rowe 3ne, MA.

Living here

Living with Whitingham’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

143 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 4.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 20 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Whitingham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Whitingham and its neighbors

Halifax the hottest July afternoons (79°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Stamford: January low 10°, July high 74°Searsburg: January low 10°, July high 75°Dover: January low 9°, July high 74°Guilford: January low 13°, July high 82°Colrain: January low 13°, July high 82°Marlboro: January low 11°, July high 79°Readsboro: January low 11°, July high 76°Wilmington: January low 11°, July high 77°Halifax: January low 12°, July high 79°Whitingham: January low 11°, July high 78°WhitinghamReadsboroWilmingtonHalifax
ColderMilder9° to 13°
Wilmington10.7° about the same
Readsboro11.0° about the same
Whitingham11.3°
Halifax12.0° about the same

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Whitingham averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 80% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.0°now 23°, was 20°
Spring+1.3°now 41°, was 40°
Summer+1.4°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+1.5°now 47°, was 45°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Whitingham compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whitingham’s place among Vermont’s.

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns5th coolest of 85 in Vermont
Winter cold11° January low
Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns75th coldest of 85 in Vermont
Precipitation53" a year
Wetter than 92% of U.S. townsThe wettest of 85 in Vermont
Hot days<1 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns7th fewest of 85 in Vermont
Freezing nights162 a year
More freezing nights than 92% of U.S. towns48th most of 85 in Vermont
Growing season143 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 95% of U.S. towns32nd shortest of 85 in Vermont
Month by month

Whitingham weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whitingham’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January29°11°4.0"9° – 28°
February32°12°3.4"8° – 28°
March39°20°4.1"22° – 40°
April52°30°4.4"36° – 46°
May65°41°4.3"48° – 58°
June73°50°5.0"59° – 65°
July78°55°4.8"62° – 70°
August76°54°4.5"62° – 69°
September69°47°4.8"53° – 62°
October57°37°5.3"42° – 53°
November45°27°4.1"31° – 41°
December34°17°4.6"18° – 36°
Year54°33°53.3"
Year to year

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 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Whitingham’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 Whitingham’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rowe 3ne, MA, 3 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 Whitingham’s climate

What is the weather like in Whitingham?

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 11°. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Whitingham in winter?

January nights average 11°. About 162 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 9°.

How hot does it get in Whitingham?

July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Rowe 3ne, MA.

When is the first and last frost in Whitingham?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 143 frost-free days, at Rowe 3ne, MA.

What growing zone is Whitingham 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 Whitingham?

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 Whitingham getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Whitingham.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.