Climate · Plymouth

Plymouth, ME climate

Plymouth has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, 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
79°
187th hottest of 614 Maine towns
January low
9°
255th coldest of 614 Maine towns
Rain + melted snow
45 in
160th driest of 614 Maine towns
Snow a winter
72 in
172nd least snowy of 567 Maine towns
A normal year

What a year in Plymouth feels like

Winter

31° / 12°
Typical high / low · 21 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

53° / 31°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 8

Summer

77° / 55°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 3
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Plymouth 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
January28°9°3.4" 16.6"1129 7° – 25°
February31°10°2.8" 17.2"1027 7° – 28°
March40°20°3.5" 13.4"1026 21° – 38°
April53°31°3.8" 3.4"116 38° – 48°
May65°42°3.5" 0120 49° – 59°
June74°51°4.0" 0130 59° – 67°
July79°58°3.4" 0120 64° – 71°
August78°56°3.4" 0100 64° – 70°
September70°48°3.7" 090 54° – 64°
October57°38°4.9" 0.3"120 42° – 54°
November45°28°4.2" 4.1"124 32° – 41°
December34°17°4.1" 16.5"1220 19° – 33°
Year54°34°44.6"71.5"133113

“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 Plymouth

Plymouth gets 45 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 113 days of the year.

45 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 67% of U.S. towns
72 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns
113 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 95% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.9"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
17"
Frost & the growing season

About 148 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 148 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 82% of U.S. towns.

175
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
30
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 Plymouth

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Plymouth, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
7,827 heating degree daysMore heating than 84% of U.S. towns
375 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 87% 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 Plymouth

Plymouth and its neighbors

Plymouth borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Newport has both the coldest January nights (8°) and the hottest July afternoons (80°). Plymouth’s January low is 9° and its July high 79°.

Carmel: January low 9°, July high 79°Dixmont: January low 9°, July high 78°Palmyra: January low 8°, July high 79°Corinna: January low 8°, July high 79°Stetson: January low 8°, July high 79°Pittsfield: January low 9°, July high 79°Etna: January low 9°, July high 79°Newport: January low 8°, July high 80°Detroit: January low 9°, July high 79°Plymouth: January low 9°, July high 79° PlymouthEtnaNewportDetroit
ColderMilder8° to 9°
Newport8.2° −0.4°
Detroit8.5° −0.1°
Plymouth8.6°
Etna8.7° +0.1°

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

Compared with other towns

How Plymouth compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 92% of U.S. towns187th hottest of 614 Maine towns
Winter cold9° January low
Colder than 83% of U.S. towns255th coldest of 614 Maine towns
Precipitation45" a year
Wetter than 67% of U.S. towns160th driest of 614 Maine towns
Snow72" a winter
Snowier than 92% of U.S. towns172nd least snowy of 567 Maine towns
Growing season148 frost-free days
Shorter than 82% of U.S. towns228th 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 Plymouth averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°). The shift is larger than in 79% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.0° now 21°, was 18°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 42°, was 41°
☀️ Summer+1.1° now 66°, was 65°
🍂 Fall+1.6° now 48°, was 46°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Plymouth’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 Plymouth’s climate

What is the coldest month in Plymouth?

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

What is the hottest month in Plymouth?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Plymouth get?

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

When is the first frost in Plymouth?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 8.

What is the rainiest month in Plymouth?

October, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 45 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Plymouth itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Corinna, ME (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Plymouth, MEPenobscot CountyView boundary

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