Climate · Jackson

Jackson, ME climate

Jackson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 72 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
78°
244th coolest of 614 Maine towns
January low
9°
295th mildest of 614 Maine towns
Rain + melted snow
47 in
261st driest of 614 Maine towns
Snow a winter
72 in
172nd least snowy of 567 Maine towns
A normal year

What a year in Jackson feels like

Winter

31° / 13°
Typical high / low · 18 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

52° / 31°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 7

Summer

76° / 55°
Typical high / low · 2 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 5
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Jackson weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January28°9°3.7" 19.2"9 9° – 26°
February31°11°3.0" 22.4"7 7° – 28°
March39°20°3.7" 11.7"8 22° – 38°
April52°32°4.0" 2.2"10 38° – 47°
May64°42°3.6" 010 49° – 57°
June72°51°4.2" 010 59° – 66°
July78°58°3.4" 09 63° – 71°
August77°56°3.3" 08 64° – 70°
September69°48°3.9" 07 54° – 63°
October57°38°5.1" 0.3"10 43° – 54°
November45°28°4.4" 2.5"9 32° – 41°
December34°18°4.4" 13.2"10 19° – 33°
Year54°34°46.8"71.5"105

“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 Jackson

Jackson gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.

47 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 76% of U.S. towns
72 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns
105 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.1"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
22"
Frost & the growing season

About 151 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.

162
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
15
nights below 0° in a normal year
2
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 Jackson

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Jackson, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

97%heating
7,785 heating degree daysMore heating than 83% of U.S. towns
204 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% 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 Jackson

Jackson and its neighbors

Jackson borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Dixmont has the coldest January nights (9°) and Monroe the hottest July afternoons (79°). Jackson’s January low is 9° and its July high 78°.

Frankfort: January low 10°, July high 79°Swanville: January low 10°, July high 78°Winterport: January low 10°, July high 79°Knox: January low 10°, July high 78°Waldo: January low 10°, July high 78°Unity: January low 9°, July high 78°Troy: January low 9°, July high 79°Etna: January low 9°, July high 79°Newburgh: January low 9°, July high 79°Monroe: January low 10°, July high 79°Brooks: January low 10°, July high 78°Thorndike: January low 9°, July high 78°Dixmont: January low 9°, July high 78°Jackson: January low 9°, July high 78° JacksonMonroeBrooksThorndikeDixmont
ColderMilder9° to 10°
Dixmont9.0° −0.4°
Thorndike9.2° −0.2°
Jackson9.4°
Monroe9.5° +0.1°
Brooks9.9° +0.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Jackson compares

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler than 95% of U.S. towns244th coolest of 614 Maine towns
Winter cold9° January low
Colder than 82% of U.S. towns295th mildest of 614 Maine towns
Precipitation47" a year
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns261st driest of 614 Maine towns
Snow72" a winter
Snowier than 92% of U.S. towns172nd least snowy of 567 Maine towns
Growing season151 frost-free days
Shorter than 80% of U.S. towns288th shortest 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 Jackson averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 82% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.8° now 22°, was 19°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 42°, was 41°
☀️ Summer+1.3° now 65°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+1.6° now 47°, was 46°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Jackson’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 7° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Jackson’s climate

What is the coldest month in Jackson?

January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 9°.

What is the hottest month in Jackson?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Jackson get?

About 72 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Jackson?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 7.

What is the rainiest month in Jackson?

October, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Jackson itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Belfast, ME (17 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Jackson, MEWaldo CountyView boundary

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