Jonesboro Union Church · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Jonesboro sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Deep winter brings January lows near 15°. Only 60° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 86% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Jonesboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jonesboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jonesboro’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Jonesboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jonesboro, ME, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jonesboro’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Machias, ME, is heaviest from January through March, about 18 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; October is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 153 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jonesboro
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 Jonesboro, ME.
Living with Jonesboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jonesboro from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jonesboro and its neighbors
Whitneyville has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 3° colder) and Columbia Falls the hottest July afternoons (77°, 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 Jonesboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro, ME | 15° | 75° | 51" | 75" |
| Corinth, NY | 9° | 77° | 51" | 60" |
| Paxton, MA | 15° | 80° | 51" | 73" |
| Gilford, NH | 11° | 79° | 50" | 62" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
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 Jonesboro averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Jonesboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jonesboro’s place among Maine’s.
Jonesboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jonesboro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Machias, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 4.3" | 19.0" | 13 | 18 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 17° | 3.6" | 18.6" | 12 | 18 | 13° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 24° | 4.3" | 17.3" | 13 | 11 | 25° – 39° |
| April | 50° | 33° | 4.3" | 2.6" | 13 | 2 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 61° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| June | 69° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| August | 75° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 42° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 5.0" | 2.0" | 13 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 5.3" | 15.3" | 15 | 11 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 37° | 50.7" | 74.9" | 153 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Jonesboro’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 Jonesboro’s center.
- Snow: Machias, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jonesboro, ME, 3 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 Jonesboro’s climate
What is the weather like in Jonesboro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 75 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 Jonesboro in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Jonesboro get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Machias, ME, heaviest from January through March, about 18 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jonesboro?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Jonesboro, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Jonesboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 158 frost-free days, at Jonesboro, ME.
What growing zone is Jonesboro in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jonesboro?
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 Jonesboro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jonesboro.
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.