Gorham, New Hampshire climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Gorham's normal year runs from 6°F January nights to 79°F July afternoons, with 43.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 5.9°C, January lows of −15°C, July highs of 26°C, 1,099 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationGorham Airport
- Station IDUSC00273488
- Location44.39°N 71.19°W
- Elevation800 ft (244 m)
- Population (town)2,673
- Census place2,044
On October 23, the normal high in Gorham is 54°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Gorham.
- Jan 27° 6°
- Feb 30° 7°
- Mar 39° 16°
- Apr 52° 29°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 74° 50°
- Jul 79° 55°
- Aug 78° 52°
- Sep 70° 44°
- Oct 57° 34°
- Nov 44° 25°
- Dec 33° 14°
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 Gorham each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 79°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 6°F. The most precipitation falls in October (4.92 in), the least in February (2.53 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 6°F | 16.5°F | 3.14 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 30°F | 7°F | 18.9°F | 2.53 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 39°F | 16°F | 27.5°F | 2.86 | – | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 52°F | 29°F | 40.8°F | 3.45 | – | <1 | 23 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 67°F | 42°F | 54.1°F | 3.61 | – | <1 | 3 | 14 h 50 min |
| June | 74°F | 50°F | 61.9°F | 4.22 | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 79°F | 55°F | 66.8°F | 4.21 | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 78°F | 52°F | 64.7°F | 4.02 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 70°F | 44°F | 57.2°F | 3.52 | – | 1 | 4 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 57°F | 34°F | 45.6°F | 4.92 | – | <1 | 12 | 11 h |
| November | 44°F | 25°F | 34.5°F | 3.52 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 33°F | 14°F | 23.5°F | 3.27 | – | <1 | 27 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 54°F | 31°F | 42.6°F | 43.27 | – | 2 | 181 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −15°C | −8.6°C | 80 mm |
| February | −1°C | −14°C | −7.3°C | 64 mm |
| March | 4°C | −9°C | −2.5°C | 73 mm |
| April | 11°C | −1°C | 4.9°C | 88 mm |
| May | 19°C | 5°C | 12.3°C | 92 mm |
| June | 23°C | 10°C | 16.6°C | 107 mm |
| July | 26°C | 13°C | 19.3°C | 107 mm |
| August | 25°C | 11°C | 18.2°C | 102 mm |
| September | 21°C | 7°C | 14.0°C | 89 mm |
| October | 14°C | 1°C | 7.6°C | 125 mm |
| November | 7°C | −4°C | 1.4°C | 89 mm |
| December | 1°C | −10°C | −4.7°C | 83 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Berlin station (4 miles away), gets 82 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00273488; 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 Gorham?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
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 USC00273488.
When is the last frost in Gorham?
In Gorham, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 14 in half of years and after May 29 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 26 in half of years and before September 11 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 141 year in 10 after May 29; 9 in 10 after May 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 261 year in 10 before September 11; 9 in 10 before October 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 133 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 155 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 2 in half of springs and before October 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Gorham in zone 5a in ZIP code 03581, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in New Hampshire · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00273488; 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 Gorham?
In a normal year in Gorham, 2 days a year reach 90°F and 181 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- 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
- 181a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 69high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00273488.
How sunny is Gorham?
Over a year 66% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Gorham, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. September is the sunniest month (73%) and December the cloudiest (54%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 59% | 1.4 |
| February | 62% | 2.3 |
| March | 65% | 3.5 |
| April | 64% | 4.4 |
| May | 64% | 5.1 |
| June | 67% | 5.5 |
| July | 71% | 5.6 |
| August | 73% | 5.0 |
| September | 73% | 4.0 |
| October | 62% | 2.4 |
| November | 59% | 1.6 |
| December | 54% | 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 Gorham need?
A normal year in Gorham brings 8,300 heating degree days, 54% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 184 cooling degree days, 80% 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 1,767 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,504 | 0 |
| February | 1,292 | 0 |
| March | 1,164 | 0 |
| April | 727 | 0 |
| May | 343 | 3 |
| June | 130 | 35 |
| July | 31 | 86 |
| August | 53 | 43 |
| September | 253 | 17 |
| October | 601 | 0 |
| November | 917 | 0 |
| December | 1,286 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,300 | 184 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00273488. 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 Gorham been warmer than normal lately?
2023 averaged 45.7°F, 3.1°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 42.6°F. 3 of the 3 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44.9°F | +2.3°F | 36.72 |
| 2022 | 44.3°F | +1.7°F | 42.72 |
| 2023 | 45.7°F | +3.1°F | 51.14 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00273488. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Gorham's climate compare?
Gorham is warmer than 5 of the other 27 places with their own NOAA record in New Hampshire, and wetter than 11. 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, Gorham 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 Gorham's climate
What is the coldest month in Gorham?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 6°F. The warmest is July (79°F by day, 55°F at night).
Does it snow in Gorham?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Gorham's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Berlin station (4 miles away), records 82 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Gorham?
October, with 4.92 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.53 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Gorham in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Gorham in zone 5a in ZIP code 03581, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Gorham?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 29. Waiting until May 29 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- New Hampshire climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Pinkham Notch, NH10 miles from this station, 40.8°F a year
- Mount Washington, NH10 miles from this station, 28.0°F a year
- York Pond, NH11 miles from this station, 40.4°F a year
- Berlin, NH12 miles from this station, 41.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made