Brick School House · Photo: MisterVA57 · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers in Aurora are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 9°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 94% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Aurora at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Aurora’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Aurora’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Aurora feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Orono, ME, 20 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Aurora’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 48 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Aurora
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Orono, ME.
Living with Aurora’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Aurora from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Aurora and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Aurora in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Aurora averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Aurora compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Aurora’s place among Maine’s.
Aurora weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Aurora’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 9° | 3.9" | 9° – 26° |
| February | 31° | 11° | 3.0" | 9° – 27° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 3.8" | 23° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 31° | 4.0" | 38° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 3.8" | 49° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 4.1" | 58° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.4" | 63° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 3.3" | 64° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 4.0" | 54° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 37° | 5.2" | 42° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 4.7" | 31° – 41° |
| December | 34° | 17° | 4.8" | 20° – 34° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 48.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Aurora’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 Aurora’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Orono, ME, 20 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Aurora’s climate
What is the weather like in Aurora?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 9°. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Aurora in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 164 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How hot does it get in Aurora?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Orono, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Aurora?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 157 frost-free days, at Orono, ME.
What growing zone is Aurora in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Aurora?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Aurora getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Aurora.
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.