Discover the 5 Coldest Places in New Hampshire

A northern state in the United States, New Hampshire is no stranger to shiver-worthy temperatures. The state has warm and humid summers followed by cold, snowy winters highlighted by some of the coldest temperatures recorded in the country. This is especially true in the mountainous region, where many of the coldest places in New Hampshire are located.

Below, learn more about the five places throughout the state that are known for being the coldest of the coldest. From mountain tops to small towns, these are some of the coldest places in New Hampshire. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in.

Mount Washington

Believe it or not, the coldest place in New Hampshire isn’t a town or even a city. Instead, if you’re looking for the one place that ranks the coldest in all of the state, you’ll want to look no further than Mount Washington. At 6,288.2 feet, Mount Washington is the tallest mountain in the northeastern region of the United States. With such a sloping peak, it may come as no surprise that the mountain sports some chill-inducing temperatures.

The summit of Mount Washington has what is known as an alpine or tundra climate. In both of these climates, one of the main characteristics is the lack of tree growth. The extreme conditions located within these climates hinder the growth of large plants, which is why trees may be few and far between, or smaller than in other places throughout the world. In many cold regions, precipitation occurs at an average or below-average rate. This can be attributed to the lack of evaporation able to take place in such a cold environment. However, Mount Washington is interesting due to its abnormally high precipitation rates. Many storm tracks converge at this location, which can lead to erratic, hard-to-predict weather.

Cold weather is not uncommon in this extreme landscape. It routinely measures negative temperatures (in Fahrenheit). On January 22, 1885, it reached temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mount Washington isn’t just known for its freezing temperatures, however. On April 12, 1934, windspeeds of 231 miles per hour were recorded by the Mount Washington Observatory. This remained a world record for several decades, up until 1966. However, today, the mountain still claims the title of highest windspeeds not associated with a tornado or hurricane.

Colebrook

Although Mount Washington is the coldest place in New Hampshire, it isn’t a city or town. Instead, when it comes to locations that are inhabited, the coldest town in New Hampshire is Colebrook.

Colebrook is located in Coös County in the northern region of New Hampshire. This small town has a humid continental climate. This means that the summers are warm, with mild nights, but the winters can be extreme. Like much of the region, Colebrook experiences high amounts of snow during the winter months. Because of the routine cold temperatures, this snow often lasts throughout the season, forming permanent ice packs.

The lowest temperature recorded in Colebrook was −42 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature had been recorded during the month of February, when the average low is typically -14 degrees. December through March are often the coldest months of the year in Colebrook, as well as the months with the most snowfall. The record high temperature in the state is only 95 degrees. Most often, summers average around 71.4 degrees, a rather low temperature compared to much of the other areas throughout the United States.

Berlin

Berlin, like Colebrook, is also located in Coös County. The only city in this county, Berlin is the northernmost city in the entire state. The area surrounding here is known as the Great North Woods Region.

At -44 degrees Fahrenheit, Berlin has a lower record temperature than Colebrook. However, Colebrook routinely experiences colder weather throughout the year compared to Berlin. Snow can fall as early as October or as late as April, with the most snow in December through March.

Gorham

Gorham is the third location on this list in Coös County, helping establish this county as one of the chilliest in the state. Nicknamed the Switzerland of America, this little town is located in the White Mountains. Although its own town, it is a part of the Berlin Micropolitan Statistical Area. The next entry on this list of coldest places in New Hampshire, Randolph, is also part of this area.

This town regularly experiences temperatures below freezing. However, unlike other towns and cities on this list, average temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit are less common. Its coldest month, January, has an average low of 6 degrees.

Randolph

Ice Gulch is an unusual area within the bounds of the White Mountains, and it is located in Randolph. It is a large subalpine cold-air talus barren, the largest known in all of New Hampshire. Whereas much of the town experiences cold temperatures not set to rival those of Mount Washington or Colebrook, this particular ecological region can have ice blocks that manage to survive the entire year, summers included.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com