Woods Hole, Massachusetts climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Woods Hole's normal year runs from 25°F January nights to 79°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.9°C, January lows of −4°C, July highs of 26°C.
- NOAA stationWoods Hole Golf Club
- Station IDUSC00199891
- Location41.53°N 70.66°W
- Elevation80 ft (24 m)
- Population (census place)999
On October 14, the normal high in Woods Hole is 63°F and the normal low 50°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Woods Hole.
- Jan 39° 25°
- Feb 41° 25°
- Mar 45° 30°
- Apr 55° 39°
- May 64° 48°
- Jun 72° 58°
- Jul 79° 64°
- Aug 79° 65°
- Sep 73° 59°
- Oct 63° 49°
- Nov 53° 40°
- Dec 45° 32°
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 Woods Hole each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 79°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 25°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39°F | 25°F | 32.1°F | – | <1 | 23 | 9 h 30 min |
| February | 41°F | 25°F | 33.0°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 45°F | 30°F | 37.2°F | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 46.9°F | – | <1 | 3 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 64°F | 48°F | 56.1°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 72°F | 58°F | 65.0°F | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 79°F | 64°F | 71.8°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 79°F | 65°F | 71.8°F | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 73°F | 59°F | 66.0°F | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 49°F | 55.8°F | – | <1 | <1 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 53°F | 40°F | 46.4°F | – | <1 | 5 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 45°F | 32°F | 38.2°F | – | <1 | 15 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 59°F | 44°F | 51.7°F | – | 1 | 83 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C | −4°C | 0.1°C |
| February | 5°C | −4°C | 0.6°C |
| March | 7°C | −1°C | 2.9°C |
| April | 13°C | 4°C | 8.3°C |
| May | 18°C | 9°C | 13.4°C |
| June | 22°C | 14°C | 18.3°C |
| July | 26°C | 18°C | 22.1°C |
| August | 26°C | 18°C | 22.1°C |
| September | 23°C | 15°C | 18.9°C |
| October | 17°C | 10°C | 13.2°C |
| November | 12°C | 4°C | 8.0°C |
| December | 7°C | 0°C | 3.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Edgartown (13 miles away), gets 25 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00199891; 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 Woods Hole?
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 USC00199891.
When is the last frost in Woods Hole?
In Woods Hole, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 11 in half of years and after April 24 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 11 in half of years and before October 31 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
- April 111 year in 10 after April 24; 9 in 10 after March 31
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 111 year in 10 before October 31; 9 in 10 before November 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 213 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 239 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 30 in half of springs and before November 23 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Woods Hole in zone 7b in ZIP code 02543.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Massachusetts · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00199891; 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 Woods Hole?
In a normal year in Woods Hole, 1 day a year reaches 90°F and 83 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
- 83a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 14high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00199891.
How sunny is Woods Hole?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Woods Hole, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (65%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 1.8 |
| February | 70% | 2.7 |
| March | 70% | 3.7 |
| April | 72% | 4.9 |
| May | 72% | 5.5 |
| June | 74% | 5.9 |
| July | 80% | 6.0 |
| August | 80% | 5.4 |
| September | 79% | 4.4 |
| October | 72% | 3.0 |
| November | 70% | 2.0 |
| December | 65% | 1.5 |
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 Woods Hole need?
A normal year in Woods Hole brings 5,392 heating degree days, 0% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 568 cooling degree days, 37% fewer than the median (908). Six months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,752 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,020 | 0 |
| February | 897 | 0 |
| March | 862 | 0 |
| April | 542 | 0 |
| May | 278 | 1 |
| June | 59 | 59 |
| July | 2 | 212 |
| August | 1 | 211 |
| September | 52 | 80 |
| October | 291 | 5 |
| November | 557 | 0 |
| December | 832 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,392 | 568 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00199891. 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 Woods Hole's climate compare?
Woods Hole is warmer than 31 of the other 34 places with their own NOAA record in Massachusetts. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 51.7°F is warmer than 48%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Woods Hole share this climate record?
7 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.
- East Falmouth, MA6,415 people · 6 mi NE
- Falmouth, MA33,227 people · 3 mi NE
- North Falmouth, MA2,558 people · 8 mi N
- Teaticket, MA1,728 people · 4 mi NE
- West Falmouth, MA1,655 people · 5 mi N
- Seconsett Island, MA138 people · 8 mi E
- Monomoscoy Island, MA112 people · 9 mi E
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 Woods Hole's climate
What is the coldest month in Woods Hole?
January, with a normal high of 39°F and a normal low of 25°F. The warmest is July (79°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in Woods Hole?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Woods Hole's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Edgartown (13 miles away), records 25 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Woods Hole in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Woods Hole in zone 7b in ZIP code 02543.
How late can frost come in Woods Hole?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 11; in one year in ten it comes after April 24. Waiting until April 24 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Massachusetts climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Vineyard Haven, MA10 miles from this station, 50.2°F a year
- Edgartown, MA12 miles from this station, 52.3°F a year
- East Sandwich, MA16 miles from this station, 49.5°F a year
- East Wareham, MA16 miles from this station, 50.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made