Climate · Lee

Lee, NH climate

Lee has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
82°
54th hottest of 321 New Hampshire towns
January low
15°
48th mildest of 321 New Hampshire towns
Rain + melted snow
47 in
130th driest of 321 New Hampshire towns
Snow a winter
39 in
11th least snowy of 321 New Hampshire towns
+9°

9° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 75°, and a typical Oct 1 in Lee peaks around 66°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020

A normal year

What a year in Lee feels like

Winter

36° / 17°
Typical high / low · 11 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

56° / 34°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 8

Summer

80° / 57°
Typical high / low · 15 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 40°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 4
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Lee 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
January33°15°3.2" 10.8"919 15° – 31°
February36°16°3.2" 9.1"818 13° – 32°
March44°24°4.2" 6.8"914 28° – 44°
April57°34°4.1" 1.8"111 41° – 50°
May68°45°3.8" 0120 51° – 62°
June77°54°4.1" 0120 62° – 69°
July82°60°3.8" 0110 67° – 74°
August81°58°3.7" 0100 67° – 73°
September73°51°3.8" 0100 58° – 66°
October61°39°4.7" 0.2"100 47° – 56°
November49°30°3.9" 1.3"111 35° – 44°
December39°21°4.3" 8.9"1111 24° – 39°
Year58°37°46.8"38.9"12164

“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 Lee

Lee gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 64 days of the year.

47 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 76% of U.S. towns
39 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 68% of U.S. towns
64 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 74% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
11"
Frost & the growing season

About 148 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 148 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 82% of U.S. towns.

151
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8
nights below 0° in a normal year
15
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 Lee

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lee, 93% of that work is heating and 7% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

93%heating
6,793 heating degree daysMore heating than 70% of U.S. towns
501 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 77% 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 Lee

Lee and its neighbors

Lee borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.0°. Nottingham has both the coldest January nights (14°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Lee’s January low is 15° and its July high 82°.

Newington: January low 16°, July high 81°Deerfield: January low 14°, July high 82°Barrington: January low 14°, July high 82°Northwood: January low 14°, July high 81°Newfields: January low 15°, July high 82°Stratham: January low 16°, July high 81°Greenland: January low 17°, July high 81°Dover: January low 15°, July high 82°Durham: January low 15°, July high 82°Nottingham: January low 14°, July high 82°Newmarket: January low 16°, July high 81°Madbury: January low 14°, July high 82°Lee: January low 15°, July high 82° LeeDurhamNottinghamNewmarketMadbury
ColderMilder14° to 17°
Nottingham14.1° −0.5°
Madbury14.4° −0.2°
Lee14.6°
Durham15.3° +0.7°
Newmarket16.1° +1.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Lee compares

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler than 71% of U.S. towns54th hottest of 321 New Hampshire towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 71% of U.S. towns48th mildest of 321 New Hampshire towns
Precipitation47" a year
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns130th driest of 321 New Hampshire towns
Snow39" a winter
Snowier than 68% of U.S. towns11th least snowy of 321 New Hampshire towns
Growing season148 frost-free days
Shorter than 82% of U.S. towns128th longest of 321 New Hampshire towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Lee averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 84% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.5° now 27°, was 24°
🌷 Spring+1.3° now 45°, was 44°
☀️ Summer+1.7° now 69°, was 67°
🍂 Fall+1.5° now 50°, was 49°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lee’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 13° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Lee’s climate

What is the coldest month in Lee?

January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Lee?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Lee get?

About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Lee?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 8.

What is the rainiest month in Lee?

October, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.

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

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

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