Waitsfield, Vermont climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Waitsfield's normal year runs from 10°F January nights to 77°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.3°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 25°C.
- NOAA stationWaitsfield (2 mi SE)
- Station IDUSC00438640
- Location44.18°N 72.80°W
- Elevation1,142 ft (348 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population (town)1,880
- Census place166
On October 23, the normal high in Waitsfield is 52°F and the normal low 34°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Waitsfield.
- Jan 28° 10°
- Feb 30° 12°
- Mar 38° 19°
- Apr 51° 31°
- May 64° 43°
- Jun 72° 51°
- Jul 77° 56°
- Aug 76° 54°
- Sep 69° 46°
- Oct 55° 36°
- Nov 44° 27°
- Dec 33° 18°
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 Waitsfield each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 10°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F | 10°F | 18.9°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 30°F | 12°F | 20.9°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 38°F | 19°F | 28.4°F | – | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 51°F | 31°F | 41.0°F | – | <1 | 19 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 64°F | 43°F | 53.3°F | – | <1 | 2 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 72°F | 51°F | 61.8°F | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 77°F | 56°F | 66.4°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 76°F | 54°F | 64.9°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 69°F | 46°F | 57.6°F | – | <1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 55°F | 36°F | 45.7°F | – | <1 | 9 | 11 h |
| November | 44°F | 27°F | 35.7°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 33°F | 18°F | 25.6°F | – | <1 | 28 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 53°F | 34°F | 43.3°F | – | 1 | 167 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2°C | −12°C | −7.3°C |
| February | −1°C | −11°C | −6.2°C |
| March | 3°C | −7°C | −2.0°C |
| April | 11°C | −1°C | 5.0°C |
| May | 18°C | 6°C | 11.8°C |
| June | 22°C | 11°C | 16.6°C |
| July | 25°C | 13°C | 19.1°C |
| August | 24°C | 12°C | 18.3°C |
| September | 20°C | 8°C | 14.2°C |
| October | 13°C | 2°C | 7.6°C |
| November | 7°C | −3°C | 2.1°C |
| December | 1°C | −8°C | −3.6°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (7 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 USC00438640; 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 Waitsfield?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in 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 USC00438640.
When is the last frost in Waitsfield?
In Waitsfield, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 11 in half of years and after May 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 18 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 111 year in 10 after May 27; 9 in 10 after April 27
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 18; 9 in 10 before October 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 142 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 168 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 29 in half of springs and before October 13 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Waitsfield in zone 5a in ZIP code 05673, 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 USC00438640; 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 Waitsfield?
In a normal year in Waitsfield, 1 day a year reaches 90°F and 167 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- 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
- 167a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 66high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00438640.
How sunny is Waitsfield?
Over a year 66% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Waitsfield, 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 Waitsfield need?
A normal year in Waitsfield brings 8,089 heating degree days, 51% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 224 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 1,836 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,429 | 0 |
| February | 1,236 | 0 |
| March | 1,134 | 0 |
| April | 721 | 0 |
| May | 373 | 8 |
| June | 138 | 42 |
| July | 47 | 90 |
| August | 64 | 61 |
| September | 246 | 22 |
| October | 600 | 0 |
| November | 881 | 0 |
| December | 1,221 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,089 | 224 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00438640. 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 Waitsfield been warmer than normal lately?
2021 averaged 45.4°F, 2.1°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 43.3°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.4°F | +2.1°F |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00438640. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Waitsfield's climate compare?
Waitsfield is warmer than 10 of the other 28 places with their own NOAA record in Vermont. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 43.3°F is warmer than 13%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Waitsfield share this climate record?
2 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.
- Huntington Center, VT143 people · 12 mi NW
- Hanksville, VT50 people · 10 mi NW
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 Waitsfield's climate
What is the coldest month in Waitsfield?
January, with a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 10°F. The warmest is July (77°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Waitsfield?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Waitsfield's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (7 miles away), records 76 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Waitsfield in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Waitsfield in zone 5a in ZIP code 05673, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Waitsfield?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 11; in one year in ten it comes after May 27. Waiting until May 27 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Vermont climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Northfield, VT7 miles from this station, 43.8°F a year
- Barre, VT11 miles from this station, 42.6°F a year
- Montpelier, VT11 miles from this station, 45.0°F a year
- South Lincoln, VT11 miles from this station, 41.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made