Cape Cod has a temperate marine climate, which means that you are going to find more moderate weather inland and the summer temperatures are a few degrees cooler due to the Atlantic Ocean. The falls are beautiful, as the ocean waters are still quite warm from the summer temperatures. The springs tend to be cooler, as the ocean has not yet warmed up from their cold winters. Extreme weather is usually rare, but blizzards and hurricanes have occurred on the rare occasion. These temperature changes and fluctuations are to be kept in mind, as you are packing for your Cape Cod vacation.
Cape Cod is a summer haven for the city dwellers of Boston, New York and Providence. These people flock to the upper Cape towns of Bourne and Falmouth. When packing for the summer you will want to pack a few cotton sweaters for the cool summer nights. The warmest months are August and July, but even on the beach you may need to cover up from the cool summer breeze coming of the cool Atlantic waters. Lightweight pants, light jacket shorts, cotton sweaters and, of course, the swimming suit for the summers. The weather during these two months reach highs in the 70s to 80s but the evenings can be quite chilly.
In May and June you are going to find it a bit chilly still. The highs in May are usually around the 50s and 60s so you can get away with some shorts, light pants, cotton sweaters and a medium weight jacket. This is a great time of year for nature activities such as golfing, walking and biking. In June it will be warmer so lightweight pants, shorts, lightweight shirts and sweaters will do. You may need a light jacket in the evenings. The ocean is still a little too cold for swimming, but a few brave kids have been known to do it.
As you head towards the fall months of September and October it is still pretty nice. September is cooler than August and it may be warm enough to still hit the beach. You will want a light jacket for late September. October features very beautiful days with highs in the 50s and 60s, but the nights are very cool in the 30s and 40s. You will want to pack heavy pants, turtlenecks, sweaters and medium weight jacket.
For the rest of the months, you will want to pack for winter. Bring gloves, hats and lots of layers. Snow is always a possibility in November and December, but it rarely happens. December sees more snow than November. In January to March expect snow, rain and a few sunny days. Highs are usually in the 40s to 50s. Don’t forget the heavy coats, insulated shoes, turtlenecks, sweaters and thermal underwear. February has more snow and the average snowfall is 11 inches for February, so pack accordingly. Cape Cod sees most of its rain in November, December and August.
