Housatonic has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Housatonic at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Housatonic’s climate
Read from where Housatonic sits among Massachusetts’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
50 inches of snow, 44 of rain and melt
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with Housatonic’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
147 frost-free days. The last frost comes by May 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 3.
About 50" a winter over 12 days with an inch or more, most in January.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 95% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 8 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 83°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 3.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
What a year in Housatonic feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Housatonic and its neighbors
Stockbridge has the coldest January nights next door (14°) and Great Barrington the hottest July afternoons (82°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Housatonic averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Housatonic compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Massachusetts.
Housatonic 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3.1" | 15.5" | 12 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 2.4" | 10.0" | 9 | 13° – 32° |
| March | 45° | 24° | 3.1" | 10.0" | 12 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 3.4" | 1.8" | 12 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 3.7" | 0 | 14 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.3" | 0 | 12 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 4.6" | 0 | 11 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 4.2" | 0 | 11 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 3.2" | 1.8" | 11 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 3.6" | 10.5" | 11 | 23° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 43.8" | 49.6" | 133 |
Heating and cooling a home in Housatonic
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Housatonic’s climate
What is the coldest month in Housatonic?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Housatonic?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Housatonic get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Housatonic?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 7.
What is the rainiest month in Housatonic?
September, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Housatonic.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Housatonic itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Copake, NY (13 mi, snow) and Lenox Dale, MA (8 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.