Climate · Cheshire

Cheshire, MA climate

Cheshire has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
81°
126th coolest of 541 Massachusetts towns
January low
13°
27th coldest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Rain + melted snow
46 in
61st driest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Snow a winter
77 in
12th snowiest of 534 Massachusetts towns
A normal year

What a year in Cheshire feels like

Winter

34° / 16°
Typical high / low · 20 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

55° / 33°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 10

Summer

78° / 55°
Typical high / low · 4 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

59° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 4
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Cheshire weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January31°13°3.1" 19.3"1526 13° – 30°
February34°15°2.6" 18.2"1226 11° – 31°
March43°22°3.3" 13.8"1420 25° – 43°
April56°33°3.5" 4.0"143 39° – 49°
May68°44°3.8" 0.1"150 51° – 61°
June76°52°4.6" 0130 61° – 68°
July81°57°4.3" 0130 64° – 73°
August79°55°4.4" 0110 64° – 71°
September72°48°4.6" 0110 56° – 64°
October59°37°4.4" 0.4"140 43° – 54°
November47°29°3.4" 4.6"134 33° – 43°
December36°20°3.7" 16.7"1420 21° – 39°
Year57°35°45.7"77.1"15898

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Cheshire

Cheshire gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 158 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 98 days of the year.

46 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 72% of U.S. towns
77 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 94% of U.S. towns
98 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 90% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
19"
Frost & the growing season

About 147 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 147 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 83% of U.S. towns.

149
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
9
nights below 0° in a normal year
4
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Cheshire

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cheshire, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
6,929 heating degree daysMore heating than 72% of U.S. towns
389 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 86% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Around Cheshire

Cheshire and its neighbors

Cheshire borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.9°. Savoy has the coldest January nights (12°) and Lanesborough the hottest July afternoons (81°). Cheshire’s January low is 13° and its July high 81°.

Hancock: January low 13°, July high 79°Pittsfield: January low 14°, July high 81°Adams: January low 13°, July high 81°Plainfield: January low 12°, July high 78°Cummington: January low 13°, July high 80°Florida: January low 11°, July high 77°Hinsdale: January low 13°, July high 79°Washington: January low 12°, July high 78°Lanesborough: January low 13°, July high 81°New Ashford: January low 13°, July high 78°Windsor: January low 12°, July high 77°Savoy: January low 12°, July high 77°Dalton: January low 13°, July high 80°Cheshire: January low 13°, July high 81° CheshireLanesboroughNew AshfordWindsorSavoyDalton
ColderMilder11° to 14°
Savoy11.5° −1.8°
Windsor11.6° −1.7°
New Ashford12.5° −0.8°
Dalton13.2° −0.1°
Cheshire13.3°
Lanesborough13.4° +0.1°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Cheshire compares

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler than 85% of U.S. towns126th coolest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Winter cold13° January low
Colder than 75% of U.S. towns27th coldest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 72% of U.S. towns61st driest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Snow77" a winter
Snowier than 94% of U.S. towns12th snowiest of 534 Massachusetts towns
Growing season147 frost-free days
Shorter than 83% of U.S. towns49th shortest of 539 Massachusetts towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Cheshire averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 78% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.6° now 25°, was 22°
🌷 Spring+1.3° now 44°, was 43°
☀️ Summer+1.3° now 67°, was 65°
🍂 Fall+1.4° now 49°, was 47°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cheshire’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 11° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Cheshire’s climate

What is the coldest month in Cheshire?

January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 13°.

What is the hottest month in Cheshire?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Cheshire get?

About 77 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Cheshire?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 10.

What is the rainiest month in Cheshire?

June, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cheshire itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Worthington, MA (17 mi, snow) and North Adams Harriman Airport, MA (9 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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