Climate · Swans Island

Swans Island, ME climate

Swans Island has chilly winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 15°.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
76°
75th coolest of 614 Maine towns
January low
15°
35th mildest of 614 Maine towns
Rain + melted snow
50 in
42nd wettest of 614 Maine towns
A normal year

What a year in Swans Island feels like

Winter

34° / 18°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

50° / 34°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 27

Summer

73° / 56°
Typical high / low · 3 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 42°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Swans Island weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January32°15°4.3" 14° – 31°
February33°17°3.5" 11° – 31°
March40°24°4.3" 25° – 39°
April51°34°4.4" 39° – 47°
May61°43°3.7" 47° – 56°
June70°52°4.2" 58° – 64°
July76°58°3.2" 63° – 70°
August75°58°3.1" 64° – 70°
September68°52°4.0" 56° – 64°
October56°42°5.5" 45° – 55°
November46°32°5.0" 35° – 44°
December37°22°5.2" 23° – 37°
Year54°37°50.3"

“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 Swans Island

Swans Island gets 50 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and August the driest.

50 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 88% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.5"

Snowfall by month

No snow records from a nearby station.
Frost & the growing season

About 177 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 177 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 51% of U.S. towns.

141
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
9
nights below 0° in a normal year
3
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 Swans Island

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Swans Island, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

94%heating
6,835 heating degree daysMore heating than 71% of U.S. towns
411 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 83% 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 Swans Island

Swans Island and its neighbors

Swans Island borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.9°. Deer Isle has the coldest January nights (13°) and Brooklin the hottest July afternoons (77°). Swans Island’s January low is 15° and its July high 76°.

Tremont: January low 14°, July high 77°Cranberry Isles: January low 15°, July high 77°Southwest Harbor: January low 15°, July high 77°Stonington: January low 14°, July high 76°Vinalhaven: January low 15°, July high 75°North Haven: January low 14°, July high 75°Brooksville: January low 13°, July high 77°Islesboro: January low 12°, July high 76°Sedgwick: January low 12°, July high 78°Blue Hill: January low 13°, July high 77°Frenchboro: January low 15°, July high 76°Isle au Haut: January low 15°, July high 75°Deer Isle: January low 13°, July high 76°Brooklin: January low 14°, July high 77°Swans Island: January low 15°, July high 76° Swans IslandFrenchboroIsle au HautDeer IsleBrooklin
ColderMilder12° to 15°
Deer Isle13.2° −1.9°
Brooklin14.0° −1.1°
Frenchboro15.0° −0.1°
Swans Island15.1°
Isle au Haut15.1° same

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

Compared with other towns

How Swans Island compares

Summer heat76° July high
Cooler than 98% of U.S. towns75th coolest of 614 Maine towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 70% of U.S. towns35th mildest of 614 Maine towns
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 88% of U.S. towns42nd wettest of 614 Maine towns
Growing season177 frost-free days
Shorter than 51% of U.S. towns20th longest 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

+1.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Swans Island averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 78% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.4° now 26°, was 24°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 42°, was 41°
☀️ Summer+1.8° now 65°, was 63°
🍂 Fall+1.3° now 49°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Swans Island’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 11° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Swans Island’s climate

What is the coldest month in Swans Island?

January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Swans Island?

July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90°.

When is the first frost in Swans Island?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 27.

What is the rainiest month in Swans Island?

October, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 50 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Swans Island itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Acadia Np, ME (19 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Swans Island, MEHancock CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Swans Island is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01