Douglas, MA climate
Douglas has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Douglas feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Douglas weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 3.9" | 11.6" | 11 | 14 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 3.4" | 12.9" | 9 | 14 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 4.6" | 9.6" | 10 | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 4.5" | 2.4" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.4" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 4.7" | 11.0" | 11 | 8 | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 50.5" | 48.3" | 124 | 46 |
“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 and snow in Douglas
Douglas gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 46 days of the year.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 176 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 53% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Douglas
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Douglas, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
Douglas and its neighbors
Douglas borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Oxford has the coldest January nights (17°) and Uxbridge the hottest July afternoons (83°). Douglas’s January low is 17° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Douglas compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Douglas averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Douglas’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 14° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Douglas’s climate
What is the coldest month in Douglas?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Douglas?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Douglas get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Douglas?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Douglas?
October, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Douglas itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Northbridge 2, MA (6 mi, snow) and North Foster 1 E, RI (14 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.