NOAA climate atlas · updated August 2026
Massachusetts Climate Data
Climate normals for 68 station-mapped locations, each from its primary station in Massachusetts's 136-station NOAA network.
- average temperature
- 49°F (10°C)49.2°F · fleet p50 52.2°F · n=50
- Cooler than median
- annual precipitation
- 48.2"48.2 inches · fleet p50 43.7 inches · n=50
- Wetter than median
- annual snowfall
- 48.7"48.7 inches · fleet p50 24.7 inches · n=50
- High-snow national band
- locations / stations
- 68 / 136State coverage: 68 locations / 136 stations. Benchmark context: this profile's measured location and NOAA-station counts.
- State coverage
Massachusetts's climate in one line
Massachusetts averages 49°F a year - cooler than 70% of U.S. states, spanning E Hawley at 43°F to Plymouth-kingston at 53°F.
- 49°F
- statewide average · 30th percentile of states
- 48"
- average annual precipitation
- 68/100
- most comfortable: Chatham Muni
- 68
- station-mapped locations · 136 NOAA stations
Statewide figures are simple averages across 68 station-mapped locations (each from its primary NOAA station), local conditions vary widely by elevation and coast distance.
How Massachusetts ranks among all 50 states
Massachusetts's average temperature vs. all U.S. states
Statewide annual mean temperature, NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49°F 30th percentile cooler than 70% of 50 U.S. states
- 30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry.
- 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry.
- 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry.
- 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry.
- 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry.
- 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry.
- 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
- 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (statewide aggregate) · 1991–2020
Massachusetts in the national rankings
- Ranks #16 coldest of 50 states at 49.2°F annual average, 3.9°F below the 53.1°F mean of all state averages - see all 50 coldest states ranked by NOAA normals
- In winter (Dec–Feb) it averages 29.3°F, the #19 coldest winter of 50 states - winter ranking
Temperature × precipitation · 50-state landscape
Massachusetts in the national climate landscape
Massachusetts averages 49.2°F and 48.2 inches of annual precipitation across 68 station-mapped locations. Against the same complete 50-state cohort, that places it in the cooler and wetter half of the chart. Dashed lines mark the national medians of 52.3°F and 43.7 inches.
Read all 50 state values
Each point is PlainClimate's simple average across the station-mapped location normals available for that state. Cohort sizes vary and are shown below; the values are not population weighted. Dashed lines mark the median of this 50-state comparison and are guides, not comfort or safety thresholds.
| State | Locations | Annual mean | Annual precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 172 | 33.5°F | 47.6 in |
| Alabama | 100 | 63.3°F | 57.9 in |
| Arkansas | 110 | 60.7°F | 52.2 in |
| Arizona | 169 | 62.3°F | 12.4 in |
| California | 363 | 59.8°F | 21.6 in |
| Colorado | 214 | 46.3°F | 15.9 in |
| Connecticut | 23 | 50.1°F | 48.6 in |
| Delaware | 7 | 56.2°F | 46.8 in |
| Florida | 165 | 72.6°F | 55.2 in |
| Georgia | 122 | 63.4°F | 52.0 in |
| Hawaii | 49 | 72.4°F | 48.5 in |
| Iowa | 143 | 48.0°F | 35.9 in |
| Idaho | 139 | 46.1°F | 18.0 in |
| Illinois | 163 | 52.2°F | 40.7 in |
| Indiana | 116 | 52.4°F | 43.7 in |
| Kansas | 168 | 54.8°F | 31.2 in |
| Kentucky | 95 | 56.2°F | 50.6 in |
| Louisiana | 91 | 67.3°F | 60.3 in |
| Massachusetts | 68 | 49.2°F | 48.2 in |
| Maryland | 42 | 55.6°F | 45.5 in |
| Maine | 79 | 43.1°F | 46.4 in |
| Michigan | 201 | 45.5°F | 34.2 in |
| Minnesota | 172 | 42.2°F | 30.0 in |
| Missouri | 164 | 55.1°F | 43.9 in |
| Mississippi | 91 | 64.1°F | 59.7 in |
| Montana | 215 | 43.4°F | 15.9 in |
| North Carolina | 178 | 59.1°F | 52.2 in |
| North Dakota | 119 | 41.0°F | 19.2 in |
| Nebraska | 171 | 49.6°F | 25.0 in |
| New Hampshire | 52 | 44.5°F | 46.6 in |
| New Jersey | 45 | 53.6°F | 47.9 in |
| New Mexico | 167 | 54.3°F | 13.8 in |
| Nevada | 115 | 52.4°F | 8.9 in |
| New York | 173 | 47.5°F | 43.7 in |
| Ohio | 128 | 51.6°F | 41.1 in |
| Oklahoma | 159 | 60.3°F | 35.7 in |
| Oregon | 180 | 50.5°F | 37.6 in |
| Pennsylvania | 157 | 50.2°F | 45.2 in |
| Rhode Island | 9 | 51.2°F | 48.7 in |
| South Carolina | 100 | 62.8°F | 49.8 in |
| South Dakota | 149 | 45.6°F | 21.8 in |
| Tennessee | 146 | 58.0°F | 56.0 in |
| Texas | 449 | 66.2°F | 31.1 in |
| Utah | 170 | 49.4°F | 13.9 in |
| Virginia | 119 | 55.8°F | 46.0 in |
| Vermont | 41 | 43.5°F | 43.7 in |
| Washington | 149 | 49.9°F | 40.9 in |
| Wisconsin | 200 | 44.5°F | 34.6 in |
| West Virginia | 99 | 52.3°F | 47.6 in |
| Wyoming | 144 | 43.3°F | 14.0 in |
Derived by PlainClimate from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals · simple averages across each state's varying station-mapped-location cohort · data updated August 2026.
Massachusetts Climate in Context
U.S. land-mean temperature anomaly (NOAA NCEI) tracked against global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP). Paris Agreement 1.5°C and 2.0°C thresholds shown as reference lines. Massachusetts sits within this national warming envelope; individual station-mapped locations below show local readings against this trend.
- United States (incl. Massachusetts) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Station-mapped locations in Massachusetts
68 locations with climate data
Scroll the table to browse every location, or use the complete CSV and JSON exports below.
| Location | Avg Temp | High | Low | Precip | Snow | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 48°F | 59°F | 37°F | 46.6" | 36.5" | 59/100 |
| Ashburnham | 46°F | 56°F | 37°F | 49.3" | 75.2" | 54/100 |
| Ashburnham N | 45°F | 56°F | 35°F | 48.7" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Barre Falls Dam | 47°F | 60°F | 35°F | 47.7" | 60.4" | 54/100 |
| Bedford | 50°F | 60°F | 39°F | 48.9" | 59.0" | 54/100 |
| Bedford Hanscom Fld | 51°F | 61°F | 40°F | 42.6" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Belchertown | 48°F | 58°F | 37°F | 47.5" | 47.5" | 59/100 |
| Beverly | 48°F | 59°F | 38°F | 48.0" | 51.4" | 54/100 |
| Beverly Muni | 50°F | 59°F | 41°F | 44.9" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Birch Hill Dam | 46°F | 57°F | 35°F | 48.6" | 50.9" | 54/100 |
| Blue Hill | 50°F | 58°F | 41°F | 53.3" | 69.3" | 48/100 |
| Boston | 52°F | 59°F | 45°F | 43.6" | 49.2" | 63/100 |
| Bridgewater | 49°F | 60°F | 38°F | 51.0" | N/A | 52/100 |
| Brockton | 51°F | 62°F | 41°F | 50.2" | 34.3" | 49/100 |
| Buffumville Lake | 48°F | 59°F | 37°F | 48.9" | 46.6" | 59/100 |
| Chatham | 50°F | 57°F | 44°F | 45.9" | 24.5" | 63/100 |
| Chatham Muni | 51°F | 58°F | 44°F | 45.2" | N/A | 68/100 |
| E Brimfield Lake | 48°F | 58°F | 39°F | 48.6" | 63.5" | 54/100 |
| E Hawley | 43°F | 53°F | 32°F | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| E Sandwich | 50°F | 58°F | 41°F | 53.0" | N/A | 56/100 |
| E Wareham | 51°F | 60°F | 42°F | 51.1" | 37.2" | 53/100 |
| Edgartown | 52°F | 60°F | 45°F | 47.7" | 25.3" | 63/100 |
| Fitchburg | 48°F | 58°F | 38°F | 49.6" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Fitchburg Muni | 49°F | 60°F | 38°F | 43.4" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Greenfield | 48°F | 59°F | 37°F | 49.4" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Groveland | 49°F | 60°F | 39°F | 49.0" | 67.1" | 54/100 |
| Haverhill | 48°F | 59°F | 38°F | 49.6" | 57.8" | 54/100 |
| Hingham | 51°F | 61°F | 42°F | 52.3" | 50.9" | 44/100 |
| Hyannis | 50°F | 58°F | 43°F | 45.7" | 21.5" | 63/100 |
| Hyannis Barnstable Muni | 52°F | 60°F | 43°F | 44.7" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Jamaica Plain | 51°F | 61°F | 41°F | 49.4" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Lawrence | 51°F | 59°F | 43°F | 49.3" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Lawrence Muni | 50°F | 59°F | 41°F | 40.9" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Lenox Dale | 46°F | 57°F | 35°F | 49.1" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Leverett | 47°F | 58°F | 36°F | 48.6" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Lowell | 49°F | 60°F | 38°F | 48.5" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Marblehead | 49°F | 58°F | 39°F | 48.0" | 39.1" | 59/100 |
| Maynard | 50°F | 63°F | 37°F | 49.7" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Middleboro | 50°F | 60°F | 39°F | 52.4" | 41.5" | 49/100 |
| Middleton | 48°F | 58°F | 38°F | 48.1" | 47.8" | 59/100 |
| Nantucket Mem | 51°F | 57°F | 44°F | 40.9" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Natick | 49°F | 59°F | 39°F | 47.3" | 45.7" | 59/100 |
| New Bedford | 52°F | 61°F | 44°F | 52.2" | 32.5" | 53/100 |
| New Bedford Muni | 50°F | 61°F | 40°F | 45.9" | N/A | 64/100 |
| North Adams Harriman | 47°F | 58°F | 36°F | 42.3" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Norton W | 50°F | 60°F | 39°F | 52.3" | 49.5" | 49/100 |
| Norwood Mem | 52°F | 63°F | 41°F | 43.9" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Nws Boston/norton | 50°F | 60°F | 40°F | 49.8" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Orange | 48°F | 59°F | 37°F | 42.2" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Pittsfield | 46°F | 56°F | 36°F | 44.2" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Plymouth | 50°F | 60°F | 40°F | 48.0" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Plymouth-kingston | 53°F | 62°F | 43°F | 52.8" | 37.9" | 53/100 |
| Reading | 51°F | 61°F | 40°F | 50.0" | 63.5" | 54/100 |
| Rochester | 51°F | 60°F | 41°F | 53.4" | 30.8" | 53/100 |
| Rowe | 44°F | 53°F | 34°F | 53.1" | N/A | 40/100 |
| Southbridge | 48°F | 58°F | 38°F | 51.9" | 52.4" | 44/100 |
| Taunton | 51°F | 61°F | 41°F | 48.8" | 25.7" | 59/100 |
| Taunton Muni | 51°F | 62°F | 39°F | 47.6" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Tully Lake | 49°F | 60°F | 38°F | 47.5" | 52.2" | 54/100 |
| Vineyard Haven | 50°F | 59°F | 41°F | 42.1" | N/A | 64/100 |
| W Harwich | 50°F | 57°F | 44°F | 46.3" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Walpole | 51°F | 61°F | 41°F | 49.6" | 56.1" | 54/100 |
| West Medway | 50°F | 62°F | 38°F | 50.4" | 51.5" | 44/100 |
| Westfield | 49°F | 59°F | 38°F | 52.4" | N/A | 52/100 |
| Westfield Barnes Muni | 49°F | 61°F | 38°F | 45.2" | N/A | 64/100 |
| Woods Hole Golf Club | 52°F | 59°F | 44°F | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Worcester | 48°F | 57°F | 40°F | 48.3" | 72.9" | 58/100 |
| Worthington | 45°F | 56°F | 34°F | 54.1" | 77.1" | 44/100 |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 · 1991-2020 Statewide aggregates for Massachusetts computed as the simple average across its 68 station-mapped locations, each represented by its primary NOAA station (136 stations in the state network).
Climate Insight: Massachusetts
Massachusetts's climate profile is aggregated from 68 station-mapped locations and 136 NOAA weather stations reporting under the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals program. The statewide average annual temperature sits at 49°F, which is the simple average across all tracked station-mapped locations rather than any single station's reading. Because Massachusetts spans multiple latitudes, elevations, and proximities to large water bodies, local conditions can differ from this headline number by wide margins; coastal, valley, and mountain stations often diverge by ten degrees or more even within a single month.
Precipitation and snowfall averages round out the climatological picture. Across Massachusetts, annual precipitation averages 48.2 inches, with typical seasonal snowfall near 48.7 inches statewide. These numbers combine rain, sleet, and snow water-equivalent and describe the thirty-year normal rather than any particular recent year. Readers evaluating a specific destination should drill into one of the 68 individual location profiles below; each station record varies with local geography, and the statewide figures here are averages that mask meaningful intrastate differences.
For planning purposes, the location table above is sorted to help you compare averages side-by-side: annual mean temperature, average daily high and low, precipitation totals, snowfall, and PlainClimate's climate comfort score. That 1–100 score combines temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length from each location's NOAA normal. It is a climate-only comparison, not a NOAA or overall livability rating. Use it as a starting point, then open each location profile for the exact score inputs, monthly breakdowns, degree-day totals, frost dates, and separately reported humidity metrics.
Nationwide similar states
Other states closest to Massachusetts on two NOAA statewide-average axes (annual temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest 50-state peers by avg_temp (49°F here).
- Utah 49°F · 0.2°F off
- Nebraska 50°F · 0.4°F off
- Washington 50°F · 0.7°F off
- Connecticut 50°F · 0.9°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest peers by avg_precip (48.2" here), excluding temperature-peer codes.
- Hawaii 48.5" · 0.3" off
- New Jersey 47.9" · 0.3" off
- Rhode Island 48.7" · 0.5" off
- Alaska 47.6" · 0.6" off
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Massachusetts? ▼
Does the climate vary a lot within Massachusetts? ▼
Where does Massachusetts rank nationally for temperature? ▼
What is the most comfortable station-mapped location in Massachusetts? ▼
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.