Is it good to paint in New Haven, CT this week?
A live 7-day go/no-go calendar for exterior paint in New Haven, built from the local forecast against the 5°F-above-dew-point rule. We lead with the signal a weather app misses: overnight condensation risk.
- Dew margin
- 0°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 45%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 0°F of the 69°F dew point (low 57°F, 100% cloud, 2 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- 4.1°F
- Overnight dew
- Watch
- Rain
- 0%
- Window
- 8am–5pm
Watch overnight dew — surface comes within 4.1°F of the dew point (margin is 5°F). Time the coat to dry well before evening.
- Dew margin
- 4.5°F
- Overnight dew
- Watch
- Rain
- 29%
- Window
- 8am–7pm
Watch overnight dew — surface comes within 4.5°F of the dew point (margin is 5°F). Time the coat to dry well before evening.
- Dew margin
- 15.4°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 5%
- Window
- 8am–5pm
Clear to paint: temps 60–72°F, RH under 81%, surface stays 15.4°F+ above the dew point, no rain in the cure window.
- Dew margin
- 17.5°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 0%
- Window
- 10am–5pm
Cold mornings (down to 45°F, floor is 50°F) — wait for the surface to warm past midday before you paint.
- Dew margin
- 11.9°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 0%
- Window
- 10am–5pm
Cold mornings (down to 46°F, floor is 50°F) — wait for the surface to warm past midday before you paint.
- Dew margin
- 6.2°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 2%
- Window
- 8am–5pm
Clear to paint: temps 55–66°F, RH under 58%, surface stays 6.2°F+ above the dew point, no rain in the cure window.
- High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 0°F of the 69°F dew point (low 57°F, 100% cloud, 2 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Rain likely in the 24h cure window (45% chance, ~18.7mm) — it can wash out or mar an uncured paint.
- High humidity (91%, over the 85% mark) slows drying — keep an eye on the cure window.
Hold off. These are forecast numbers — confirm the surface temperature on-site before you start.
Why these thresholds
Overnight dew condensing on a fresh coat causes blistering, surfactant leaching and peeling — the cause of 40%+ of exterior paint failures.
- • Surface temp must stay 5°F above the dew point through application and cure (ASTM D3276 / ISO 8502-42).
- • Air + surface in the 50–85°F band (low-temp lines to 35°F).
- • Humidity under 85%; ideally under 70%.
- • No rain for 24h after application.
- • We use the forecast ground-surface temperature as a surface-temp proxy — confirm on-site with an IR thermometer.
Free in the beta
Watch this job site 24/7
Get an email the moment overnight dew, rain, or an out-of-range stretch threatens a fresh coat — and a morning digest with the best window ahead. No app to check; we watch the forecast for you.