Climate · Hanover

Hanover, MA climate

Hanover has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
83°
142nd hottest of 541 Massachusetts towns
January low
20°
145th mildest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Rain + melted snow
51 in
49th wettest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Snow a winter
51 in
235th snowiest of 534 Massachusetts towns
A normal year

What a year in Hanover feels like

Winter

40° / 23°
Typical high / low · 12 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

58° / 37°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 25

Summer

81° / 60°
Typical high / low · 13 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

63° / 43°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Hanover 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
January38°20°4.3" 14.8"1315 20° – 36°
February40°22°3.8" 14.5"1113 18° – 38°
March47°28°5.3" 10.3"129 32° – 45°
April58°37°4.5" 1.7"121 44° – 52°
May69°47°3.7" 0130 52° – 63°
June78°56°4.0" 0110 63° – 70°
July83°63°3.4" 0100 68° – 77°
August82°61°3.5" 090 68° – 76°
September74°54°4.0" 090 61° – 68°
October63°43°4.9" 0.1"120 49° – 60°
November53°34°4.5" 0.7"111 38° – 48°
December43°26°5.0" 8.8"128 28° – 45°
Year61°41°50.8"50.9"13746

“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 Hanover

Hanover gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 46 days of the year.

51 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 89% of U.S. towns
51 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 84% of U.S. towns
46 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 64% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.3"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
15"
Frost & the growing season

About 177 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 177 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 51% of U.S. towns.

115
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2
nights below 0° in a normal year
13
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 Hanover

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Hanover, 89% of that work is heating and 11% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

89%heating
5,688 heating degree daysLess heating than 52% of U.S. towns
726 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 59% 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 Hanover

Hanover and its neighbors

Hanover borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Rockland has the coldest January nights (20°) and Hanson the hottest July afternoons (83°). Hanover’s January low is 20° and its July high 83°.

Marshfield: January low 21°, July high 83°Scituate: January low 22°, July high 82°Hingham: January low 22°, July high 82°Duxbury: January low 22°, July high 82°Halifax: January low 20°, July high 83°Kingston: January low 22°, July high 82°Plympton: January low 21°, July high 83°East Bridgewater: January low 20°, July high 84°Whitman: January low 20°, July high 84°Abington: January low 20°, July high 84°Norwell: January low 21°, July high 83°Pembroke: January low 20°, July high 83°Hanson: January low 20°, July high 83°Rockland: January low 20°, July high 83°Hanover: January low 20°, July high 83° HanoverNorwellPembrokeHansonRockland
ColderMilder20° to 22°
Rockland20.1° −0.1°
Hanover20.2°
Hanson20.2° same
Pembroke20.3° +0.1°
Norwell20.7° +0.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Hanover compares

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler than 62% of U.S. towns142nd hottest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Winter cold20° January low
Milder than 55% of U.S. towns145th mildest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Precipitation51" a year
Wetter than 89% of U.S. towns49th wettest of 541 Massachusetts towns
Snow51" a winter
Snowier than 84% of U.S. towns235th snowiest of 534 Massachusetts towns
Growing season177 frost-free days
Shorter than 51% of U.S. towns166th longest 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

+2.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Hanover averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 95% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.7° now 31°, was 29°
🌷 Spring+1.6° now 48°, was 46°
☀️ Summer+2.1° now 70°, was 68°
🍂 Fall+1.8° now 53°, was 51°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Hanover’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 18° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Hanover’s climate

What is the coldest month in Hanover?

January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 20°.

What is the hottest month in Hanover?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Hanover get?

About 51 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Hanover?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 25.

What is the rainiest month in Hanover?

March, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Hanover itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hingham, MA (8 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The porch light’s on

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