Your local climate and
weather hub for Nantucket

Why Weather Matters Here

  • At LLNF, weather and climate data impact our decisions about habitat management, resilience planning, and various conservation efforts.

  • Real-time, localized weather data are essential for understanding microclimates, tracking environmental change, and making informed management decisions for our flora and fauna.

  • Collectively, weather data can show us trends in the climate of our area. The climate and weather together influence local phenology – the timing of things in nature.

Weather conditions directly impact our ecosystems. Understanding weather is crucial for studying local flora and fauna.

  • Rain shapes every ecosystem at LLNF. From wetlands to sandplain grasslands, to the species that depend on them. Long-term precipitation data helps us understand drought patterns, flooding risk, and how water availability affects plant and wildlife health.

  • Wind is a defining and shaping force on Nantucket’s landscape, with the western side of the island known for its persistent coastal winds. These winds shape tree growth and plant communities, and can carry seeds and plant material across the island, increasing both natural dispersal and the risk of invasive species spread.

  • Temperature plays a major role in nature’s timing, or phenology, determining when plants bloom, insects emerge, and wildlife migrates. Many plants in this region use temperature changes as cues for growth and development, making daily and long-term temperature tracking essential for understanding seasonal shifts and how climate change is reshaping local ecosystems.

Current Weather Conditions

  • CoCoRaHS

    CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail, and snow). LLNF’s station (ID: MA-NT-1) has been contributing rain data since 2014!

    CoCoRaHS Map

  • NOAA COOP Station

    The NOAA Cooperative Weather Observer (COOP) program is one of the nation’s oldest and largest weather networks. It relies on over 10,000 volunteers to record daily weather observations. LLNF is the climate center for Nantucket and submits daily data to help track long-term climate conditions across the U.S.

    NOAA COOP

  • NADP Site

    We are a National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Collection Site. As part of this project, staff from NLWC collect a rain sample every week from the station on our property and send it off the island for chemical analysis. It’s just as important to know what is in the precipitation as well as how much there is.

    NADP Website

  • LLNF Weather Station

    In 2023, we installed our first personal weather station. Interested in what the weather conditions are on the western side of the island? Our weather station includes instruments for measuring temperature, relative humidity, pressure, rainfall, wind speed, and direction. View our current conditions below!

    LLNF Weather Station

Become a CoCoRaHS Observer

Joining CoCoRaHS is one of the easiest ways to contribute to real, nationwide weather science. All it takes is a simple rain gauge and a few minutes a day. Your observations help scientists, forecasters, and communities better understand precipitation patterns, extreme weather, and long-term climate trends. Whether it’s rain, snow, or hail, your daily report makes a difference, right from your own backyard!

Become an Observer

CoCoRaHS Map

Read our Blog

Featured
Water, Water, Everywhere, But…
Water, Water, Everywhere, But…

In June 2025, Nantucket was placed under a Level 1 drought by the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force, prompting mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use. Then, over last weekend, we learned that the town’s primary water pump suffered a mechanical failure, leaving the island’s water storage tank at “critically low” levels. The ensuing water use ban has included all non-essential water use, and applies only to properties connected to the municipal water system.

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Current Nature: Rain, Rain, Come To Stay - How We Measure Precipitation On Nantucket
Current Nature: Rain, Rain, Come To Stay - How We Measure Precipitation On Nantucket

Of all the places I’ve lived, Nantucket is one of the most attuned to daily weather and climatic patterns. It likely has something to do with the maritime past, but, even today the island’s food, mail, and ability to come and go as we please is dictated by weather - it’s full community awareness.

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Current Nature: Why Your Garden Is Back In Bloom
Current Nature: Why Your Garden Is Back In Bloom

Anyone else still sweating? It’s been an unseasonably warm fall, and it’s had some weird effects on our local plants. Many people have noticed that the plants in their yards have flowered for a second time and that some have started to produce new leaves. So what exactly causes this, and how will it affect the health of not just our plants but our entire ecosystem?

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Current Nature: The Wicked W-ACK-Y Island Weather
Current Nature: The Wicked W-ACK-Y Island Weather

One of the most frequently discussed topics on the island is “Where do you get your weather?” Everyone has their trusted app, website, or local weather forecaster that they depend on to give them accurate predictions. Nantucket has always had unpredictable weather patterns; one day, torrential downpours may be predicted, but then the winds will shift, and the storm will bypass the island completely, leaving only clear and sunny skies. There is also Nantucket’s famous fog, the Grey Lady, who is known to either overstay her welcome or disappear without even saying goodbye. One of my co-worker’s favorite sayings is, “If you want to experience all four seasons of weather in one day, head to Nantucket.” Since the weather can change so dramatically, it is best to prepare as much as possible in advance.

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