Petersham, MA climate
Petersham has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade4° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 70°, and a typical Oct 1 in Petersham peaks around 66°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Petersham feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Petersham 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 | 33° | 14° | 3.5" | 13.6" | 13 | 21 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 3.1" | 14.9" | 10 | 19 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 3.8" | 12.2" | 12 | 15 | 27° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.8" | 3.5" | 12 | 2 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.7" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 4.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 4.4" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 3.7" | 2.9" | 11 | 3 | 35° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 4.3" | 13.1" | 13 | 15 | 22° – 40° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 48.1" | 60.4" | 141 | 75 |
“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 Petersham
Petersham gets 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 75 days of the year.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first one by October 8. That leaves about 157 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 74% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Petersham
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Petersham, 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.
Petersham and its neighbors
Petersham borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.6°. Phillipston has the coldest January nights (14°) and New Salem the hottest July afternoons (83°). Petersham’s January low is 14° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Petersham 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 Petersham averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Petersham’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 11° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Petersham’s climate
What is the coldest month in Petersham?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Petersham?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Petersham get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Petersham?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 8, and the last spring frost by May 4.
What is the rainiest month in Petersham?
October, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Petersham itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Barre Falls Dam, MA (10 mi, snow) and Orange Municipal 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.