Climate · Burlington

Burlington, ME climate

Burlington has cold winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 7°.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
143rd hottest of 614 Maine towns
January low
7°
180th coldest of 614 Maine towns
Rain + melted snow
45 in
164th driest of 614 Maine towns
A normal year

What a year in Burlington feels like

Winter

30° / 11°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

52° / 30°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 4

Summer

77° / 54°
Typical high / low · 4 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 37°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 6
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Burlington weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January27°7°3.4" 6° – 24°
February30°9°2.7" 8° – 27°
March39°19°3.4" 21° – 37°
April52°30°3.6" 38° – 47°
May65°41°3.6" 48° – 58°
June74°50°4.0" 58° – 66°
July79°56°3.6" 63° – 71°
August78°55°3.4" 63° – 70°
September70°46°3.7" 53° – 63°
October57°37°4.8" 41° – 53°
November44°27°4.1" 30° – 40°
December33°16°4.3" 18° – 33°
Year54°33°44.7"

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Burlington

Burlington gets 45 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest.

45 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 68% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.8"

Snowfall by month

No snow records from a nearby station.
Frost & the growing season

About 153 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 153 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 78% of U.S. towns.

167
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
32
nights below 0° in a normal year
4
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Burlington

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Burlington, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

96%heating
8,272 heating degree daysMore heating than 89% of U.S. towns
337 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 89% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Around Burlington

Burlington and its neighbors

Burlington borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Lincoln has the coldest January nights (7°) and Lowell the hottest July afternoons (80°). Burlington’s January low is 7° and its July high 79°.

Enfield: January low 7°, July high 80°Passadumkeag: January low 7°, July high 80°Lee: January low 7°, July high 79°Winn: January low 6°, July high 80°Lowell: January low 7°, July high 80°Lincoln: January low 7°, July high 80°Burlington: January low 7°, July high 79° BurlingtonLowellLincoln
ColderMilder6° to 7°
Lincoln6.9° −0.3°
Burlington7.2°
Lowell7.4° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Burlington compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 91% of U.S. towns143rd hottest of 614 Maine towns
Winter cold7° January low
Colder than 86% of U.S. towns180th coldest of 614 Maine towns
Precipitation45" a year
Wetter than 68% of U.S. towns164th driest of 614 Maine towns
Growing season153 frost-free days
Shorter than 78% of U.S. towns250th longest of 610 Maine towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Burlington averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°). The shift is larger than in 80% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.0° now 20°, was 17°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 41°, was 40°
☀️ Summer+1.2° now 65°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+1.6° now 47°, was 45°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Burlington’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 8° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Burlington’s climate

What is the coldest month in Burlington?

January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 7°.

What is the hottest month in Burlington?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.

When is the first frost in Burlington?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 4.

What is the rainiest month in Burlington?

October, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 45 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Burlington itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME (10 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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