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Andover Hook and Ladder Company BuildingAndover Hook and Ladder Company Building · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Andover · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Andover gets about 112 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns

Midsummer highs settle at about 78°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 69–78°.

More snow than 98% of U.S. towns#3Snowiest  of 169 in ME
Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns#10 coldest of 171 in ME
All ME rankings →

A year in Andover at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan26°6° 23" snow
Feb29°7° 27" snow
Mar38°16° 18" snow
Apr51°29° 7" snow
May64°40° Last frost ~May 19
Jun73°49°
Jul78°55° 2 days 90°+
Aug76°53°
Sep69°45° First frost ~Sep 25
Oct55°36° Wettest
Nov now43°26° 8" snow
Dec32°15° 29" snow

What stands out about Andover’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Andover’s place in Maine beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Andover feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
29° / 9°
32 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
51° / 28°
Last frost around May 19
Summer
76° / 52°
2 days reach 90°
Fall
56° / 35°
First frost around Sep 25
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 129 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Andover 2, ME, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.

Short record. NOAA estimated Andover 2, ME’s counts from 6 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
190
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2nd most of 171 in Maine
More freezing nights than all but 143 U.S. towns
28
nights at or below 0°
18th most of 171 in Maine
More nights at or below 0° than 97% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 90°
22nd fewest of 171 in Maine
Fewer 90° days than 96% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Andover’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

1.6
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 112 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Andover 2, ME, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
118th wettest of 171 in Maine
Wetter than 66% of U.S. towns
112"
Snow in a normal winter
3rd snowiest of 169 in Maine
More snow than 98% of U.S. towns
133 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
6th most of 135 in Maine
More days with snow on the ground than all but 74 U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

29"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Andover

98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

8,940 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 128 U.S. towns
168 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Andover 2, ME.

Living here

Living with Andover’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

129 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 47 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Andover from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Andover and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Andover in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Weld: January low 7°, July high 79°Mexico: January low 8°, July high 79°Byron: January low 6°, July high 77°Rumford: January low 7°, July high 77°Hanover: January low 7°, July high 79°Bethel: January low 7°, July high 79°Roxbury: January low 7°, July high 78°Newry: January low 6°, July high 78°Andover: January low 6°, July high 78°AndoverRoxburyNewry
ColderMilder6° to 8°
Andover5.9°
Newry6.0° about the same
Roxbury6.5° about the same

Climates most like Andover’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Andover, ME6°78°46"112"
Tupper Lake, NY5°78°43"105"
Sault Ste. Marie, MI8°76°37"120"
Dalton, MA13°80°48"77"
Corry, PA16°80°47"114"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Andover averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.5°).

+1.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 86% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.4°now 19°, was 16°
Spring+1.3°now 40°, was 38°
Summer+1.2°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+1.9°now 46°, was 44°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Andover compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Andover’s place among Maine’s.

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns22nd coolest of 171 in Maine
Winter cold6° January low
Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns10th coldest of 171 in Maine
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 66% of U.S. towns118th wettest of 171 in Maine
Snow112" a winter
More snow than 98% of U.S. towns3rd snowiest of 169 in Maine
Hot days2 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 96% of U.S. towns22nd fewest of 171 in Maine
Freezing nights190 a year
More freezing nights than all but 143 U.S. towns2nd most of 171 in Maine
Growing season129 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 98% of U.S. towns5th shortest of 171 in Maine
Month by month

Andover weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Andover’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Andover 2, ME. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January26°6°3.1"22.5"11305° – 24°
February29°7°2.7"26.5"9285° – 25°
March38°16°3.2"17.6"92818° – 35°
April51°29°3.7"7.0"111336° – 45°
May64°40°3.8"0.2"14046° – 57°
June73°49°4.7"0.0"15058° – 65°
July78°55°4.4"0.0"12061° – 70°
August76°53°4.1"0.0"12062° – 67°
September69°45°3.6"0.0"9052° – 61°
October55°36°5.0"0.6"13041° – 53°
November43°26°3.8"8.3"11829° – 39°
December32°15°4.0"29.1"142516° – 33°
Year53°31°46.1"111.8"141133
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Andover’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Andover’s center.
  • Snow: Andover 2, ME.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Andover 2, ME, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Andover’s climate

What is the weather like in Andover?

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 112 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Andover in winter?

January nights average 6°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.

How much snow does Andover get?

About 112 inches in a normal winter at Andover 2, ME, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 133 days a year.

How hot does it get in Andover?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Andover 2, ME).

When is the first and last frost in Andover?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 129 frost-free days, at Andover 2, ME.

What growing zone is Andover in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.

What is the best time of year to visit Andover?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Andover getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Andover.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.