Maine, WI climate
Maine has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Maine feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Maine 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 | 22° | 5° | 1.2" | 12.1" | 10 | 29 | 2° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 1.1" | 14.9" | 9 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.8" | 8.3" | 9 | 22 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 3.0" | 6.6" | 12 | 5 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.8" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 55° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.1" | 1.0" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 1.9" | 4.8" | 9 | 4 | 22° – 41° |
| December | 27° | 12° | 1.5" | 15.5" | 11 | 21 | 8° – 30° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 33.5" | 63.4" | 131 | 110 |
“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 Maine
Maine gets 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 131 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 110 days of the year.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by September 30. That leaves about 139 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Maine
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Maine, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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.
Maine and its neighbors
Maine borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Berlin has the coldest January nights (5°) and Wausau the hottest July afternoons (80°). Maine’s January low is 5° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Maine 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 Maine averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Maine’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 4° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Maine’s climate
What is the coldest month in Maine?
January, with a typical high of 22° and a low of 5°.
What is the hottest month in Maine?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Maine get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Maine?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 30, and the last spring frost by May 11.
What is the rainiest month in Maine?
June, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 34 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Maine itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wausau Wsaw Tv, WI (8 mi, snow) and Merrill, WI (8 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.