Burlington, VT Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Annual temperature and rainfall from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →; comfort score computed by PlainClimate
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Burlington's primary NOAA station, BURLINGTON INTL AP.
The climate verdict for Burlington
Burlington, Vermont has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 48°F. At 54/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.
- 48°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 54/100
- comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
- 37.5"
- annual precipitation · 88" snow
- 169 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Burlington: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00014742 · Burlington, VT 48°F mean · 37.5" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 48°F
- RANK-COOL #2,058
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Dull Ctr
- PRCP-MID 37.5"
- SWING-WIDE 52°F
- COMF-LOW 54/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,960 HDD
- STN-1 USW00014742
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Dull Ctr, WY (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every VT station list.
- Burlington (this station) 48°F
- Cold Anselmo, NE 48°F
- Hot Freeport Waste…, IL 48°F
- Near Dull Ctr, WY 48°F
- Near Lusk, WY 48°F
Climate Living Index · Burlington
Burlington: 50/100 · grade D
Burlington publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Burlington, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 54/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 37.5 in · 2.5 from 35 in | 90/100 · A |
| Summer moisture balance | 58.1°F mean dew point | 77/100 · B |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 143 calendar days | 51/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 169 days/year | 41/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 47.6°F · 19.9° from 67.5°F | 30/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 87.5 inches/year | 3/100 · F |
Burlington · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Burlington is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 20.9°F and warmest-month mean 72.4°F place this station in continental, no dry season, hot summer climates (Dfa). Class Dfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfa
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 72.4°F
- Coldest month
- 20.9°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Burlington sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Burlington's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 70%
- Among 6,861 stations, Burlington sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- 53rd percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 85%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Burlington is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Burlington compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Burlington's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
54 31st percentile score exceeds 31% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Burlington's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 147 complete annual observations from 1875 to 2025, BURLINGTON INTL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.18°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Burlington primary station fitted change +0.18 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°F (-2°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 2.1" | 21.1" | 28.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 32°F (0°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 1.8" | 19.3" | 26.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 41°F (5°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 2.2" | 17.5" | 25.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 55°F (13°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 3.1" | 4.1" | 12.9 | 0.0 |
| May | 69°F (21°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| June | 78°F (25°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| July | 82°F (28°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.6 |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 3.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| September | 73°F (23°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| October | 59°F (15°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.8" | 0.3" | 6.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 46°F (8°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 2.7" | 5.7" | 17.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 35°F (2°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 2.5" | 19.5" | 26.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 83°F around July 17, short of 90°F on every date, while 143 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 12°F near January 24.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 6, then returns to freezing around November 16, covering 143 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is December 30, when 50% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is August 31 at 35%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 157 wet dates a year.
The widest day
May 10 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 22°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Burlington.
Where Burlington Stands Nationally
Days and nights track unusually close together; the widest normal swing, about 22°F, is narrower than most stations record.
Burlington earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 21.1"
14.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 19.3"
12.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 17.5"
12.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
13.2 days with precipitation
13.6 days with precipitation
13.6 days with precipitation
12.8 days with precipitation
11.7 days with precipitation
11.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
12.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.7"
13.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 19.5"
15.2 days with precipitation
Burlington spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 32% of the annual total and December through February 17%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Burlington has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 51.5°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: June averages 4.3" and February 1.8". The three wettest months together take 32% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
How Burlington's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 157 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 37.5" between them, or roughly 0.24 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Burlington
Burlington averages 87.5 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 55 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 87.5 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 55 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 23% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 15
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 29
50% probability date
Growing Season
169 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,960
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
656
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 8.1 | 26% | 48% |
| February | 65% | 8.4 | 27% | 47% |
| March | 60% | 8.6 | 29% | 41% |
| April | 57% | 8.2 | 29% | 34% |
| May | 65% | 7.6 | 27% | 32% |
| June | 66% | 7.1 | 23% | 19% |
| July | 69% | 6.5 | 24% | 16% |
| August | 70% | 6.9 | 32% | 17% |
| September | 72% | 7.3 | 29% | 32% |
| October | 68% | 8.5 | 23% | 50% |
| November | 70% | 8.9 | 11% | 59% |
| December | 71% | 8.9 | 16% | 57% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside VT closest to Burlington on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (48°F here).
- Bend, OR 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Benton, PA 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Bonesteel, SD 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Bonners Ferry, ID 48°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (37.5" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Paddock Lake, WI 37.5" · 0.0" off
- Boerne, TX 37.5" · 0.0" off
- Sullivan, WI 37.5" · 0.0" off
- Weaverville, CA 37.5" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Burlington
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Burlington's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,960 annual heating degree days against 656 for cooling. Its 51.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Burlington's frost-free season lasts about 169 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Burlington coldest normal
January
Averaging 21°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Burlington typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Burlington snow peak
January
Burlington averages 87.5 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Burlington's climate
How much snow does Burlington get? ▼
How cold does Burlington get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Burlington? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Burlington's primary station: BURLINGTON INTL AP (USW00014742). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 5010675). Match rule for Burlington: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Burlington comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.