Photo: HELVETIQ · CC BY 2.0Bristol gets about 79 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 75°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Bristol at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bristol’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bristol’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Bristol feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newcastle, ME, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bristol’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 79 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Newcastle, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 20 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bristol
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 Newcastle, ME.
Living with Bristol’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bristol from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bristol and its neighbors
Newcastle has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 3° colder) and Newcastle the hottest July afternoons (78°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bristol’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, ME | 15° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
| Corinth, NY | 9° | 77° | 51" | 60" |
| Gardner, MA | 14° | 80° | 49" | 75" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
| Northfield, VT | 7° | 79° | 44" | 76" |
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 Bristol averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Bristol compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bristol’s place among Maine’s.
Bristol weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bristol’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Newcastle, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.9" | 19.6" | 12 | 25 | 14° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 3.5" | 20.3" | 11 | 25 | 11° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 25° | 4.3" | 14.1" | 11 | 18 | 26° – 39° |
| April | 51° | 34° | 4.3" | 4.4" | 12 | 2 | 39° – 47° |
| May | 60° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 69° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| August | 74° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 52° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 5.1" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 4.6" | 3.5" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 4.7" | 16.5" | 13 | 15 | 23° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 38° | 49.0" | 78.7" | 142 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bristol’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 Bristol’s center.
- Snow: Newcastle, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newcastle, ME, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher; 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 Bristol’s climate
What is the weather like in Bristol?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 79 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bristol in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 142 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Bristol get?
About 79 inches in a normal winter at Newcastle, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 20 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bristol?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Newcastle, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Bristol?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 172 frost-free days, at Newcastle, ME.
What growing zone is Bristol in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bristol?
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 Bristol getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bristol.
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.