Northampton weather in August

In August, Northampton sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 4.1 in of rain across 10.2 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 78°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Northampton's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Northampton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
61°
11th coldest
Rainfall
4.1 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:03 AM – 6:47 PM
Cloud cover
57%
3rd clearest
Wind
5 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Northampton is county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
308/km²
people per km²
Founded
1654

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

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 78°F by the end.

A typical August day in Northampton reaches about 79°F in the afternoon and slips back to 61°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 72°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 7°F warmer than September.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18163
28163
38163
48163
58163
68163
78163
88163
98063
108062
118062
128062
138062
148062
158062
168062
177962
187961
197961
207961
217961
227961
237860
247860
257860
267860
277860
287860
297859
307759
317759

How August really feels in Northampton

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Northampton weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 19°3.59.66.69.30.0
Feb36° / 20°3.28.96.110.30.0
Mar44° / 28°4.210.95.311.60.8
Apr57° / 39°4.011.31.613.13.8
May67° / 48°3.711.7014.45.9
Jun76° / 58°4.111.70156.4
Jul81° / 63°4.010.8014.86.3
Aug79° / 61°4.110.2013.76.6
Sep72° / 54°4.28.8012.36.9
Oct60° / 43°4.69.50.410.84.9
Nov48° / 33°3.59.21.79.61.9
Dec38° / 25°4.410.45.590.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35050
45050
55050
65050
74951
84951
94852
104951
114951
124852
134852
144951
154951
165050
175050
185149
195248
205248
215347
225347
235347
245446
255446
265446
275446
285446
295446
305347
315248

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Northampton gets around 4.1 in of rain over 10.2 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 33% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
235
335
435
535
635
736
836
936
1036
1136
1236
1336
1436
1536
1636
1735
1835
1934
2033
2132
2231
2330
2429
2529
2628
2728
2827
2927
3027
3127

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 25% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1182331226
2192330226
3192330226
4202329226
5202329226
6202329226
7212328226
8212428226
9212428226
10212427225
11222427225
12222526225
13222526224
14232526224
15232626224
16232625223
17242725213
18242725213
19252725212
20262725202
21272724202
22282724192
23292723192
24312723182
25322722172
26332722172
27342721162
28342721162
29352621152
30362621152
31372621143

Wind in August

Winds average 5 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 4:47 AM to 5:19 AM, and sunset from 7:06 PM to 6:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.34:477:06
214.34:487:05
314.34:497:04
414.24:507:03
514.24:517:02
614.14:527:00
714.14:536:59
814.14:546:58
914.04:556:57
1014.04:566:55
1113.94:576:54
1213.94:586:52
1313.94:596:51
1413.85:016:50
1513.85:026:48
1613.75:036:47
1713.75:046:45
1813.65:056:44
1913.65:066:42
2013.65:076:40
2113.55:086:39
2213.55:096:37
2313.45:106:36
2413.45:116:34
2513.35:136:32
2613.35:146:31
2713.25:156:29
2813.25:166:27
2913.15:176:26
3013.15:186:24
3113.15:196:22

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.19 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.62 kWh/m² to a high of 5.91 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.19 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Northampton?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Northampton for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Northampton in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Northampton sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 61°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Northampton in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Northampton 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 22 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 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Northampton in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Northampton is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1615 µg/m³Nov 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Northampton?

Northampton sits at 42.3°N, 72.6°W, 249 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Easthampton, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Northampton

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Northampton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft around an average of 190 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,526 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,760 ft.

The land around Northampton is covered by trees (57%) within 2 miles, trees (77%) within 10 miles, and trees (91%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
338 ft
10 miles
1,526 ft
50 miles
3,760 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Easthampton 4.3 mi · South Hadley 5.6 mi · Amherst 6.8 mi · Amherst Center 6.8 mi · Holyoke 8.7 mi · North Chicopee 9.9 mi · Chicopee 12 mi · Ludlow 14 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 Northampton (42.3251°, -72.6412°, elevation 249 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. 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).