Machias, ME climate
Machias has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Machias feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Machias weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 4.3" | 19.0" | 13 | 18 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 3.6" | 18.6" | 12 | 18 | 13° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 24° | 4.4" | 17.3" | 13 | 11 | 25° – 38° |
| April | 50° | 33° | 4.3" | 2.6" | 13 | 2 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 60° | 42° | 3.9" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| June | 68° | 50° | 4.1" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| July | 74° | 56° | 3.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 56° | 3.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 51° | 4.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 42° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 5.0" | 2.0" | 13 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 5.3" | 15.3" | 15 | 11 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 37° | 51.2" | 74.9" | 153 | 62 |
“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 and snow in Machias
Machias gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 153 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 62 days of the year.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 164 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 67% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Machias
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Machias, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
Machias and its neighbors
Machias borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.1°. Whitneyville has both the coldest January nights (13°) and the hottest July afternoons (77°). Machias’s January low is 15° and its July high 74°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Machias compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Machias averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°). The shift is larger than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Machias’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 13° to 31°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Machias’s climate
What is the coldest month in Machias?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Machias?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Machias get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Machias?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by May 2.
What is the rainiest month in Machias?
October, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Machias itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Machias, ME (2 mi, snow) and Wesley, ME (21 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.