Climate · Jay

Jay, ME climate

Jay has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
302nd coolest of 614 Maine towns
January low
9°
252nd coldest of 614 Maine towns
Rain + melted snow
48 in
264th wettest of 614 Maine towns
Snow a winter
91 in
133rd snowiest of 567 Maine towns
A normal year

What a year in Jay feels like

Winter

30° / 12°
Typical high / low · 24 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

52° / 30°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 11

Summer

76° / 54°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 37°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 29
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Jay weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January27°9°3.4" 19.8"1029 7° – 25°
February31°10°2.9" 26.6"926 8° – 27°
March39°20°3.7" 15.9"922 21° – 38°
April52°31°4.1" 3.2"116 38° – 47°
May65°41°3.7" 0.3"130 48° – 59°
June73°51°4.8" 0140 59° – 66°
July79°57°4.1" 0120 63° – 71°
August78°55°3.9" 0110 64° – 69°
September70°47°3.6" 090 54° – 63°
October57°37°5.3" 0.4"120 42° – 54°
November44°28°4.3" 4.7"114 31° – 41°
December33°17°4.2" 20.3"1119 19° – 33°
Year54°33°47.8"91.2"132107

“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 Jay

Jay gets 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 107 days of the year.

48 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 81% of U.S. towns
91 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 96% of U.S. towns
107 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.3"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
27"
Frost & the growing season

About 138 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 138 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.

180
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
27
nights below 0° in a normal year
5
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 Jay

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

97%heating
8,205 heating degree daysMore heating than 88% of U.S. towns
286 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 92% 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 Jay

Jay and its neighbors

Jay borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Wilton has the coldest January nights (8°) and Canton the hottest July afternoons (79°). Jay’s January low is 9° and its July high 79°.

Peru: January low 8°, July high 79°Hartford: January low 9°, July high 79°Dixfield: January low 8°, July high 79°Vienna: January low 8°, July high 77°New Sharon: January low 8°, July high 79°Mount Vernon: January low 9°, July high 79°Farmington: January low 8°, July high 79°Fayette: January low 9°, July high 79°Temple: January low 7°, July high 76°Wayne: January low 10°, July high 79°Leeds: January low 10°, July high 79°Turner: January low 10°, July high 79°Canton: January low 9°, July high 79°Chesterville: January low 9°, July high 79°Wilton: January low 8°, July high 78°Livermore Falls: January low 9°, July high 79°Livermore: January low 9°, July high 79°Jay: January low 9°, July high 79° JayCantonChestervilleWiltonLivermore FallsLivermore
ColderMilder7° to 10°
Wilton7.8° −0.7°
Jay8.5°
Canton8.5° same
Chesterville8.7° +0.2°
Livermore Falls8.9° +0.4°
Livermore9.0° +0.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Jay compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 94% of U.S. towns302nd coolest of 614 Maine towns
Winter cold9° January low
Colder than 84% of U.S. towns252nd coldest of 614 Maine towns
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 81% of U.S. towns264th wettest of 614 Maine towns
Snow91" a winter
Snowier than 96% of U.S. towns133rd snowiest of 567 Maine towns
Growing season138 frost-free days
Shorter than 90% of U.S. towns138th 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

+2.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Jay averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.3°). The shift is larger than in 92% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.3° now 21°, was 18°
🌷 Spring+1.4° now 41°, was 40°
☀️ Summer+1.2° now 65°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+1.9° now 47°, was 45°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Jay’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 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Jay’s climate

What is the coldest month in Jay?

January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 9°.

What is the hottest month in Jay?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Jay get?

About 91 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Jay?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 11.

What is the rainiest month in Jay?

October, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Jay itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Livermore Falls 1 E, ME (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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