Concord, the Capital of New Hampshire, is situated near the geographical center of New England at an altitude of approximately 300 feet above sea level on the Merrimack River. Its surroundings are hilly with many lakes and ponds. The countryside is generously wooded, mostly on land reclaimed from fields which were formerly cleared for farming. From the coast about 50 miles to the southeast, the terrain slopes gently upward to the city. West of the city, the land rises some 2,000 feet higher in only half that distance. Mount Washington, at an elevation of 6,288 feet is in the White Mountains 75 miles north of town. Northwesterly winds are prevalent. They bring cold, dry air during the winter and pleasantly cool, dry air in the summer. Stronger southerly winds occur during July and August, and easterly winds usually accompany summer and winter storms. Winter breezes are somewhat lighter, and winds are frequently calm during the night and early morning hours. Low temperatures, as a rule, do not interrupt normal out–of–doors activity because winds are calm or light, producing a low wind chill factor.
Very hot summer weather is infrequent. During any month, temperatures considerably above the average maxima and much below the normal minima are observed. The average amount of precipitation for the warmer half of the year differs little from that for the colder half. Precipitation occurrences average approximately one day of three for the year, with a somewhat higher frequency for the April–May period, offsetting the lower frequency of August–October. The more significant rains and heavier snowfalls are associated with easterly winds, especially northeasterly winds. The first snowfall of an inch or more is likely to come
between the middle of November and the middle of December. The snow cover normally lasts from mid–December until the last week of March, but bare ground is not rare in the winter, nor is a snowscape rare earlier or later in the season. Rain, sleet, or freezing rain may also occur. Agriculture is neither intensive nor large–scale in the vicinity of the station. Potatoes and other frost–resistant vegetables, hardy fruits such as apples, forage for the dairy industry, and maple sugar are the principal crops. Based on the 1951–1980 period, the average first occurrence of 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the fall is September 22 and the average last occurrence in the spring is May 23. Freezing temperatures have occurred as late as June and as early as August.