Chelsea, Vermont climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Chelsea's normal year runs from 7°F January nights to 76°F July afternoons, with 42.4 inches of precipitation and 89 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 5.5°C, January lows of −14°C, July highs of 25°C, 1,078 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationChelsea (2 mi NW)
- Station IDUSC00431363
- Location44.01°N 72.48°W
- Elevation1,440 ft (439 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population (town)1,264
- Census place416
On October 23, the normal high in Chelsea is 52°F and the normal low 33°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 Chelsea.
- Jan 25° 7°
- Feb 28° 9°
- Mar 36° 17°
- Apr 50° 30°
- May 63° 42°
- Jun 72° 51°
- Jul 76° 55°
- Aug 75° 53°
- Sep 68° 46°
- Oct 55° 35°
- Nov 42° 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 Chelsea each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 76°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 7°F. The most precipitation falls in June (4.68 in), the least in February (2.21 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 7°F | 16.0°F | 2.55 | 17.1 | 12 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 28°F | 9°F | 18.3°F | 2.21 | 21.5 | 10 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 36°F | 17°F | 26.8°F | 2.78 | 17.1 | 11 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 50°F | 30°F | 39.8°F | 3.24 | 5.1 | 12 | <1 | 19 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 63°F | 42°F | 52.4°F | 3.65 | 0.3 | 15 | <1 | 4 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 72°F | 51°F | 61.3°F | 4.68 | 0.0 | 15 | <1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 76°F | 55°F | 65.7°F | 4.59 | 0.0 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 75°F | 53°F | 64.3°F | 4.25 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 68°F | 46°F | 56.9°F | 3.66 | 0.0 | 10 | <1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 55°F | 35°F | 44.9°F | 4.42 | 1.1 | 14 | <1 | 13 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 42°F | 26°F | 33.8°F | 3.10 | 4.0 | 12 | <1 | 23 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 31°F | 15°F | 22.7°F | 3.31 | 22.6 | 15 | <1 | 30 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 52°F | 32°F | 41.9°F | 42.44 | 88.8 | 151 | 1 | 176 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°C | −14°C | −8.9°C | 65 mm | 43 cm |
| February | −2°C | −13°C | −7.6°C | 56 mm | 55 cm |
| March | 2°C | −8°C | −2.9°C | 71 mm | 43 cm |
| April | 10°C | −1°C | 4.3°C | 82 mm | 13 cm |
| May | 17°C | 5°C | 11.3°C | 93 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 22°C | 10°C | 16.3°C | 119 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 25°C | 13°C | 18.7°C | 117 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 24°C | 12°C | 17.9°C | 108 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 20°C | 8°C | 13.8°C | 93 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 13°C | 2°C | 7.2°C | 112 mm | 3 cm |
| November | 5°C | −4°C | 1.0°C | 79 mm | 10 cm |
| December | −1°C | −10°C | −5.2°C | 84 mm | 57 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00431363; 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 Chelsea?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (10).
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 USC00431363.
When is the last frost in Chelsea?
In Chelsea, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 9 in half of years and after May 24 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 21 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 91 year in 10 after May 24; 9 in 10 after April 28
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 21; 9 in 10 before October 13
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 143 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 164 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 29 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chelsea in zone 5a in ZIP code 05038, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Vermont · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00431363; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. 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 Chelsea?
In a normal year in Chelsea, 1 day a year reaches 90°F, 176 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 151 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 176a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 78high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 151a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 28a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00431363.
How sunny is Chelsea?
Over a year 66% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Chelsea, 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 Chelsea need?
A normal year in Chelsea brings 8,572 heating degree days, 60% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 187 cooling degree days, 79% 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 1,709 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,519 | 0 |
| February | 1,308 | 0 |
| March | 1,186 | 0 |
| April | 757 | 1 |
| May | 395 | 5 |
| June | 148 | 35 |
| July | 53 | 74 |
| August | 79 | 57 |
| September | 258 | 15 |
| October | 623 | 0 |
| November | 938 | 0 |
| December | 1,310 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,572 | 187 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00431363. 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.
How does Chelsea's climate compare?
Chelsea is warmer than 6 of the other 28 places with their own NOAA record in Vermont, and wetter than 13. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 41.9°F is warmer than 9%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Chelsea 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.
Questions about Chelsea's climate
What is the coldest month in Chelsea?
January, with a normal high of 25°F and a normal low of 7°F. The warmest is July (76°F by day, 55°F at night).
Does it snow in Chelsea?
Yes: 89 inches in a normal year, falling on 46 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (22.6 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Chelsea?
June, with 4.68 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.21 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Chelsea in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Chelsea in zone 5a in ZIP code 05038, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Chelsea?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 9; in one year in ten it comes after May 24. Waiting until May 24 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Vermont climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Corinth, VT8 miles from this station, 41.4°F a year
- Northfield, VT14 miles from this station, 43.8°F a year
- Barre, VT14 miles from this station, 42.6°F a year
- Montpelier, VT18 miles from this station, 45.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made