Shapleigh, ME climate
Shapleigh has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 81 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shapleigh feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shapleigh 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 | 30° | 12° | 3.6" | 19.8" | 12 | 29 | 11° – 29° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 3.4" | 20.4" | 10 | 28 | 9° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 4.3" | 15.4" | 11 | 24 | 24° – 40° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 4.5" | 3.7" | 12 | 6 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.6" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 5.5" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 4.5" | 3.4" | 12 | 3 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 4.7" | 17.7" | 12 | 19 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 50.9" | 80.9" | 138 | 109 |
“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 Shapleigh
Shapleigh gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 109 days of the year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 30. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shapleigh
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shapleigh, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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.
Shapleigh and its neighbors
Shapleigh borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.8°. Newfield has the coldest January nights (11°) and Sanford the hottest July afternoons (81°). Shapleigh’s January low is 12° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Shapleigh 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 Shapleigh averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 74% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shapleigh’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 9° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Shapleigh’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shapleigh?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Shapleigh?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shapleigh get?
About 81 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Shapleigh?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 30, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Shapleigh?
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 Shapleigh itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hollis, ME (10 mi, snow) and Sanford 2 Nnw, ME (7 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.