Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Island Falls gets about 96 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. A year here swings 75° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by September 30.
A year in Island Falls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Island Falls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Island Falls’ place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Island Falls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Patten 2, ME, 14 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Island Falls’ center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 96 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Houlton 5n, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Island Falls
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Patten 2, ME.
Living with Island Falls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 9.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Island Falls from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Island Falls and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Island Falls in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Island Falls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Falls, ME | 4° | 78° | 44" | 96" |
| Tupper Lake, NY | 5° | 78° | 43" | 105" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
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 Island Falls averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Island Falls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Island Falls’ place among Maine’s.
Island Falls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Island Falls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Houlton 5n, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | 3.1" | 22.8" | 13 | 30 | 2° – 22° |
| February | 27° | 5° | 2.6" | 20.9" | 11 | 28 | 4° – 24° |
| March | 37° | 16° | 3.2" | 19.0" | 11 | 29 | 18° – 34° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 3.5" | 6.3" | 12 | 10 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 4.5" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 3.8" | 6.5" | 11 | 5 | 28° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 13° | 3.9" | 19.6" | 14 | 23 | 15° – 30° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 43.7" | 95.9" | 148 | 126 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Island Falls’ 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 Island Falls’ center.
- Snow: Houlton 5n, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Patten 2, ME, 14 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Island Falls’ climate
What is the weather like in Island Falls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 96 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 151 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Island Falls in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 185 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Island Falls get?
About 96 inches in a normal winter at Houlton 5n, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 126 days a year.
How hot does it get in Island Falls?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Patten 2, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Island Falls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 138 frost-free days, at Patten 2, ME.
What growing zone is Island Falls in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Island Falls?
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 Island Falls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Island Falls.
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.