Barre, Vermont climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Barre's normal year runs from 7°F January nights to 78°F July afternoons, with 38.7 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 5.9°C, January lows of −14°C, July highs of 25°C, 983 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBarre Montpelier Airport
- Station IDUSW00094705
- Location44.20°N 72.58°W
- Elevation1,126 ft (343 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population8,304
On October 14, the normal high in Barre is 56°F and the normal low 36°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 45%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Barre.
- Jan 26° 7°
- Feb 29° 9°
- Mar 38° 18°
- Apr 52° 30°
- May 65° 42°
- Jun 73° 51°
- Jul 78° 56°
- Aug 76° 54°
- Sep 69° 46°
- Oct 55° 36°
- Nov 43° 26°
- Dec 31° 15°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Barre each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 78°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 7°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.27 in), the least in February (2.06 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F | 7°F | 16.6°F | 2.32 | 14 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 29°F | 9°F | 18.9°F | 2.06 | 13 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 38°F | 18°F | 27.9°F | 2.49 | 13 | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 52°F | 30°F | 40.9°F | 3.04 | 14 | <1 | 18 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 65°F | 42°F | 53.3°F | 3.52 | 14 | <1 | 4 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 73°F | 51°F | 61.8°F | 4.21 | 14 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 78°F | 56°F | 66.5°F | 4.27 | 14 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 76°F | 54°F | 64.9°F | 3.81 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 69°F | 46°F | 57.4°F | 3.33 | 11 | <1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 55°F | 36°F | 45.5°F | 3.87 | 14 | <1 | 11 | 11 h |
| November | 43°F | 26°F | 34.4°F | 2.85 | 14 | <1 | 22 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 31°F | 15°F | 23.2°F | 2.93 | 15 | <1 | 29 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 53°F | 32°F | 42.6°F | 38.70 | 162 | 2 | 169 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −14°C | −8.6°C | 59 mm |
| February | −2°C | −13°C | −7.3°C | 52 mm |
| March | 3°C | −8°C | −2.3°C | 63 mm |
| April | 11°C | −1°C | 4.9°C | 77 mm |
| May | 18°C | 5°C | 11.8°C | 89 mm |
| June | 23°C | 10°C | 16.6°C | 107 mm |
| July | 25°C | 13°C | 19.2°C | 108 mm |
| August | 24°C | 12°C | 18.3°C | 97 mm |
| September | 20°C | 8°C | 14.1°C | 85 mm |
| October | 13°C | 2°C | 7.5°C | 98 mm |
| November | 6°C | −3°C | 1.3°C | 72 mm |
| December | 0°C | −9°C | −4.9°C | 74 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (5 miles away), gets 76 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094705; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Barre?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (11).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094705.
When is the last frost in Barre?
In Barre, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 16 in half of years and after May 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 29 in half of years and before September 16 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 161 year in 10 after May 30; 9 in 10 after May 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 291 year in 10 before September 16; 9 in 10 before October 12
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 136 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 158 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 3 in half of springs and before October 9 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Barre in zone 5a in ZIP code 05641, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Barre's NOAA station is in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −19°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Vermont · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00094705; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Barre?
In a normal year in Barre, 2 days a year reach 90°F, 169 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 162 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 169a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 70high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 162a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1948) is 97°F, on July 20, 1977; the lowest is −34°F, on January 4, 1981.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2011, with 55.14 in; the snowiest season is 1970–71, with 138.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00094705; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00094705. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Barre, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 57°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 58°F; the driest air comes in January (10°F). March is the windiest month (7.1 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (65%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°F | 70% | 56% | 6.3 mph | 44% | 45% |
| February | 14°F | 68% | 55% | 7.1 mph | 42% | 49% |
| March | 24°F | 63% | 48% | 7.1 mph | 47% | 42% |
| April | 34°F | 60% | 43% | 6.8 mph | 50% | 36% |
| May | 48°F | 69% | 52% | 6.1 mph | 50% | 31% |
| June | 57°F | 72% | 53% | 5.2 mph | 59% | 18% |
| July | 58°F | 75% | 55% | 4.6 mph | 60% | 16% |
| August | 55°F | 76% | 55% | 4.6 mph | 65% | 17% |
| September | 45°F | 77% | 57% | 5.3 mph | 54% | 31% |
| October | 33°F | 74% | 60% | 6.5 mph | 43% | 48% |
| November | 24°F | 76% | 68% | 6.4 mph | – | – |
| December | 14°F | 76% | 67% | 6.5 mph | 33% | 57% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094705. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Barre?
Over a year 66% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Barre, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (74%) and December the cloudiest (52%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 1.4 |
| February | 61% | 2.2 |
| March | 63% | 3.3 |
| April | 63% | 4.3 |
| May | 65% | 5.1 |
| June | 69% | 5.6 |
| July | 73% | 5.7 |
| August | 74% | 5.0 |
| September | 74% | 4.0 |
| October | 61% | 2.4 |
| November | 57% | 1.5 |
| December | 52% | 1.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Barre need?
A normal year in Barre brings 8,349 heating degree days, 55% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 227 cooling degree days, 75% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,821 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,500 | 0 |
| February | 1,291 | 0 |
| March | 1,152 | 0 |
| April | 724 | 1 |
| May | 369 | 8 |
| June | 136 | 41 |
| July | 43 | 91 |
| August | 69 | 66 |
| September | 247 | 20 |
| October | 605 | 1 |
| November | 918 | 0 |
| December | 1,296 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,349 | 227 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094705. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Barre been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 43.5°F, 0.9°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 42.6°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.6°F | +3.0°F | 33.46 |
| 2022 | 46.3°F | +3.7°F | 30.71 |
| 2023 | 46.2°F | +3.6°F | – |
| 2024 | 46.2°F | +3.6°F | 40.30 |
| 2025 | 43.5°F | +0.9°F | 34.90 |
Over 69 complete years from 1949 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.9°F per century (+0.16°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00094705; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Barre's climate compare?
Barre is warmer than 8 of the other 28 places with their own NOAA record in Vermont, and wetter than 5. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 42.6°F is warmer than 11%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Barre is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Barre share this climate record?
5 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Williamstown, VT3,604 people · 6 mi S
- South Barre, VT1,259 people · 5 mi SE
- East Barre, VT1,084 people · 7 mi SE
- Websterville, VT427 people · 6 mi SE
- Graniteville, VT362 people · 6 mi SE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Barre's climate
What is the coldest month in Barre?
January, with a normal high of 26°F and a normal low of 7°F. The warmest is July (78°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Barre?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Barre's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (5 miles away), records 76 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Barre?
July, with 4.27 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.06 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Barre in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Barre in zone 5a in ZIP code 05641, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at Barre's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −19°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 5a.
How late can frost come in Barre?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 16; in one year in ten it comes after May 30. Waiting until May 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Barre in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Vermont climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Montpelier, VT4 miles from this station, 45.0°F a year
- Northfield, VT5 miles from this station, 43.8°F a year
- Plainfield, VT9 miles from this station, 41.3°F a year
- Waitsfield, VT11 miles from this station, 43.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made