Climate and average weather in Marlborough

In Marlborough, the summers are hot, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are cold, snowy, and partly cloudy.

Best: late July to mid October

Over the course of the year, the temperature in Marlborough typically varies from 21°F to 83°F, and is rarely below 3°F or above 92°F. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Marlborough for warm-weather activities are from mid May to mid July and late July to mid October.

Hottest
Jul
83°
Coldest
Jan
21°
Wettest
Mar
4.2 in
Driest
Feb
3.0 in
Rain / yr
41.8 in
116 wet days
Daylight
8.9–15.1 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
390 ft
42.3°N
Clearest
Sep
55% cloud

Marlborough is city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
696/km²
people per km²
Founded
1657

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Marlborough weather by month, at a glance

The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.

Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late July to mid October.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in Marlborough, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

The hot season lasts 3.9 months, from May 26 to September 22, with daily high temperatures above 71°F. The hottest month of the year in Marlborough is July, with an average high of 83°F and low of 65°F.

The cool season lasts 3.3 months, from December 3 to March 12, with daily high temperatures below 44°F. The coldest month of the year in Marlborough is January, with an average low of 21°F and high of 36°F.

Days typically run about 17°F warmer than nights year-round.

20°40°60°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
Jan3621
Feb3822
Mar4629
Apr5840
May6749
Jun7759
Jul8365
Aug8163
Sep7356
Oct6245
Nov5035
Dec4027

How hot and cold Marlborough really feels

Feels-like highFeels-like lowactual air temp

The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.

On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about 10°F (around January 23), with roughly 153 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 32°F) 47 of them bitterly cold — worst in January.

20°40°60°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels-like high (°F)Air high (°F)Feels-like low (°F)Air low (°F)
Jan36361121
Feb38381322
Mar46462229
Apr57583540
May67674749
Jun77775959
Jul83836565
Aug81816363
Sep73735656
Oct62624145
Nov50502935
Dec40401927

Average hourly temperature in Marlborough

A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 83°F, and coldest before dawn in January, near 21°F.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

Marlborough weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan36° / 21°3.39.45.99.30.0
Feb38° / 22°3.08.45.210.30.0
Mar46° / 29°4.210.64.711.61.2
Apr58° / 40°3.610.9113.14.0
May67° / 49°3.010.4014.46.1
Jun77° / 59°3.510.80156.5
Jul83° / 65°3.110.3014.85.8
Aug81° / 63°3.59.2013.76.6
Sep73° / 56°3.47.7012.37.1
Oct62° / 45°3.89.30.210.85.4
Nov50° / 35°3.48.90.99.62.4
Dec40° / 27°4.110.54.990.2

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

Marlborough gets about 41.8 in of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.

The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from around Feb 24 to Aug 15, peaking in April at about 37% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Sep 1.

March is the wettest month by volume, with 4.2 in over about 11 wet days; February is the driest, with 3.0 in. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdrierwetterdriermostly drysome rainoften wetvery wetApr 4 · 37%Sep 1 · 24%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan319
Feb308
Mar3411
Apr3611
May3410
Jun3511
Jul3410
Aug309
Sep268
Oct309
Nov309
Dec3311

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, Marlborough collects about 41.8 in of rain across 116 wet days — roughly 3.5 in in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. March is the wettest month with 4.2 in, while February is the driest at just 3.0 in. The three wettest months alone bring about 29% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

012345JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec3.33.04.23.63.03.53.13.53.43.83.44.1
Rainfall (in)Rain daysSnow days
Jan3.396
Feb3.085
Mar4.2115
Apr3.6111
May3.0100
Jun3.5110
Jul3.1100
Aug3.590
Sep3.480
Oct3.890
Nov3.491
Dec4.1115

Snow in Marlborough

Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.

Marlborough averages about 23 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 29 to Apr 22 — about 5.8 months.

January is snowiest, with roughly 6 days of snow and an estimated 17 in of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 69 in of snow.

02468JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsnow seasonsnow seasonJan 13
Snow daysSnowfall (in)
Jan617
Feb517
Mar514
Apr12
May00
Jun00
Jul00
Aug00
Sep00
Oct00
Nov12
Dec516

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In Marlborough, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around June 30 and lasts for 5.3 months, ending around December 8. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 52% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around February 16 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around June 29. The cloudiest month is April, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 62% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecOct 11 · 53%Apr 7 · 37%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercastcloudierclearer
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan5050
Feb4753
Mar4159
Apr3862
May3961
Jun4258
Jul4951
Aug5149
Sep5248
Oct5248
Nov4951
Dec4753

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.

The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 13, brings about 15 h 06 min of light; the shortest, around December 13, only 8 h 54 min — a swing of roughly 6 h 12 min.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan9.37:194:32
Feb10.36:525:09
Mar11.66:075:45
Apr13.15:126:21
May14.44:306:54
Jun15.04:147:19
Jul14.84:277:16
Aug13.74:586:42
Sep12.35:325:49
Oct10.86:064:56
Nov9.66:454:18
Dec9.07:154:10

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

Marlborough averages about 9 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 7 and 12 days.

The sunnier stretch runs 6.4 months, from around Aug 14 to Feb 23. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 11 sunny days (mixed).

The greyest month is May, down near 7 sunny days — about 38% fewer than the October peak.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsunniergreyersunniergloomymixedOct 412 daysMay 67 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan11Mixed
Feb9Mixed
Mar8Mixed
Apr7Gloomy
May7Gloomy
Jun7Gloomy
Jul8Gloomy
Aug10Mixed
Sep11Mixed
Oct11Mixed
Nov11Mixed
Dec10Mixed

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.

Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.

In Marlborough, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.

The more humid part of the year lasts 4.0 months, from around May 31 to September 28. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 58% of the time.

The most comfortable stretch runs from around September 29 to May 30, and March is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecMar 23 · 100%Jul 25 · 37%oppressivemuggyhumiddrycomfortablecomfortablehumidcomfortable
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
Jan1000000
Feb1000000
Mar1000000
Apr973000
May8410510
Jun462319112
Jul182328237
Aug222526207
Sep522116101
Oct878410
Nov972000
Dec1000000

Wind

Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Marlborough is typically calm, near 7 mph, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Oct 13 to May 3. The windiest month is March, averaging about 8 mph (light breeze).

The calmer part of the year runs from around May 4 to Oct 12, with August the calmest month at about 6 mph.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwindiercalmerwindiercalmlight breezebreezyMar 6 · 8 mphAug 8 · 6 mph
Wind speed (mph)Feels
Jan8light breeze
Feb8light breeze
Mar8light breeze
Apr8light breeze
May7calm
Jun6calm
Jul6calm
Aug6calm
Sep6calm
Oct7calm
Nov8light breeze
Dec8light breeze

Hazard calendar for Marlborough

In seasonPeak

When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.

Marlborough sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Best time to visit Marlborough

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Marlborough throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around mid August, Marlborough is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.

Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.

The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 64°F and 82°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Marlborough for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid May to mid July and again from late July to mid October, with a peak score in the second week of September.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationSep 10 · 7.3

The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan0.0poor
Feb0.0poor
Mar1.2poor
Apr4.0fair
May6.0good
Jun6.5good
Jul5.8good
Aug6.5good
Sep7.1good
Oct5.3fair
Nov2.4poor
Dec0.2poor

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 75°F and 93°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Marlborough for hot-weather activities is from early June to mid September, with a peak score in the second week of July.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationJul 11 · 6.8

The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

What to pack for Marlborough, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.

For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 83°F), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 36°F), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In July, Marlborough sees daytime highs around 83°F and nights near 65°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Marlborough

Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 35 mi away) is warmest in August at about 66°F and coldest in February near 38°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb38Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May50Bracing
Jun58Bracing
Jul65Cool
Aug66Cool
Sep63Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov50Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index (midday) in Marlborough by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Marlborough peaks around July 10 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Average hourly UV index in Marlborough

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.

The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in July the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 7.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 3.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan00
Feb00
Mar3.50
Apr60
May7.53.5
Jun84
Jul7.53.5
Aug5.50
Sep5.50
Oct20
Nov00
Dec00

Air quality in Marlborough by month

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.

Air quality in Marlborough is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 189 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayTypical season (≥50%)

The growing season in Marlborough typically lasts about 249 days, from around March 24 to November 27 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from April 19 to October 25.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecgrowing seasonMar 2450%Apr 1990%Oct 2590%Nov 2750%
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan1631
Feb1728
Mar4131
Apr8616
May990
Jun1000
Jul1000
Aug1000
Sep1000
Oct946
Nov6430
Dec2931

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 50°F)Frost-free shaded

Growing degree days tally heat above 50°F: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Marlborough banks about 2,786 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.

01,0002,0003,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°F·days)
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr22
May259
Jun540
Jul738
Aug682
Sep435
Oct111
Nov0
Dec0

Solar energy

Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Marlborough receives about 3.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 1.6 and 6.1 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Mar 16 to Sep 21. The brightest month is July, averaging about 5.8 kWh/m² (bright).

The dimmest month is December, down near 1.6 kWh/m² — roughly 72% less than the July peak.

01234567JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdimmerbrighterdimmerdimmoderatebrightintenseJul 26.1 kWhDec 171.6 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan2.0Moderate
Feb2.9Moderate
Mar3.9Moderate
Apr4.9Bright
May5.5Bright
Jun5.9Bright
Jul5.9Bright
Aug5.2Bright
Sep4.1Bright
Oct2.9Moderate
Nov2.0Moderate
Dec1.6Dim

Where is Marlborough?

Marlborough sits at 42.3°N, 71.6°W, 390 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Framingham Center, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Marlborough

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Marlborough.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Marlborough has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 381 ft around an average of 387 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 689 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,176 ft.

The land around Marlborough is covered by trees (68%) within 2 miles, trees (81%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
381 ft
10 miles
689 ft
50 miles
3,176 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
Nearby: Framingham Center 6.8 mi · Ashland 7.5 mi · Sudbury 7.5 mi · Framingham 8.1 mi · Shrewsbury 8.7 mi · Natick 11 mi · Acton 11 mi · Grafton 12 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Marlborough (42.3459°, -71.5523°, elevation 390 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).