Photo: Troy R. Bennett · CC BY-SA 4.0Harpswell gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. A year here swings 63° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 2, with the first autumn frost due around October 10.
A year in Harpswell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harpswell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harpswell’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Harpswell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brunswick Nas, ME, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harpswell’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gray, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 21 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 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harpswell
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 Brunswick Nas, ME.
Living with Harpswell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harpswell from natural hazards, coastal flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harpswell and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Harpswell in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Harpswell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harpswell, ME | 15° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Hamilton, NY | 13° | 79° | 45" | 77" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
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 Harpswell averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Harpswell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harpswell’s place among Maine’s.
Harpswell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harpswell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gray, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 3.6" | 20.6" | 11 | 29 | 13° – 30° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 3.4" | 20.4" | 10 | 27 | 12° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 25° | 4.2" | 16.2" | 11 | 21 | 26° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 34° | 4.4" | 4.7" | 12 | 5 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 63° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 41° | 5.2" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 4.6" | 3.8" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 4.5" | 17.7" | 13 | 17 | 22° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 38° | 48.8" | 84.0" | 140 | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Harpswell’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 Harpswell’s center.
- Snow: Gray, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brunswick Nas, ME, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Harpswell’s climate
What is the weather like in Harpswell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harpswell in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Harpswell get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Gray, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 21 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 101 days a year.
How hot does it get in Harpswell?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 60°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Brunswick Nas, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Harpswell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 160 frost-free days, at Brunswick Nas, ME.
What growing zone is Harpswell in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Harpswell?
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 Harpswell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Harpswell.
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.