Kingston, MA climate
Kingston has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Kingston feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Kingston 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 | 39° | 22° | 4.3" | 10.1" | 12 | 9 | 21° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 3.8" | 11.5" | 11 | 8 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 29° | 5.3" | 8.5" | 13 | 5 | 32° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 38° | 4.5" | 1.0" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 48° | 3.6" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 64° | 3.4" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 63° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 56° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 5.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 36° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 5.0" | 6.7" | 12 | 5 | 30° – 46° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 51.2" | 37.9" | 140 | 27 |
“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 Kingston
Kingston 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 140 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 27 days of the year.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first one by November 1. That leaves about 198 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Kingston
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Kingston, 87% of that work is heating and 13% 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.
Kingston and its neighbors
Kingston borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.8°. Pembroke has both the coldest January nights (20°) and the hottest July afternoons (83°). Kingston’s January low is 22° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Kingston 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 Kingston averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Kingston’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 19° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Kingston’s climate
What is the coldest month in Kingston?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Kingston?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 64°. About 12 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Kingston get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Kingston?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 1, and the last spring frost by April 15.
What is the rainiest month in Kingston?
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 Kingston itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Plymouth-kingston, MA (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.