Acadian Landing Site · Photo: Todd Edgard (NPS employee) · Public domainMadawaska gets about 99 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 75°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 75°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 98% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 2.
A year in Madawaska at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madawaska’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madawaska’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Madawaska feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Frenchville Aroostook Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madawaska’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 99 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Kent, ME, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madawaska
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Frenchville Aroostook Airport.
Living with Madawaska’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 90 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 56% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Madawaska from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madawaska and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Madawaska in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Madawaska’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madawaska, ME | 0° | 75° | 40" | 99" |
| Harrietstown, NY | 5° | 75° | 46" | 104" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
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 Madawaska averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Madawaska compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madawaska’s place among Maine’s.
Madawaska weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madawaska’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Kent, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 0° | 2.5" | 20.3" | 13 | 31 | −3° – 18° |
| February | 22° | 2° | 2.2" | 21.0" | 11 | 29 | 1° – 22° |
| March | 33° | 13° | 2.4" | 19.0" | 11 | 30 | 13° – 30° |
| April | 45° | 27° | 2.8" | 6.6" | 12 | 15 | 31° – 43° |
| May | 61° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| July | 75° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| September | 65° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| October | 51° | 34° | 4.2" | 1.1" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 37° | 24° | 3.1" | 8.9" | 13 | 10 | 25° – 36° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 3.0" | 22.3" | 14 | 27 | 10° – 26° |
| Year | 48° | 29° | 40.0" | 99.3" | 156 | 143 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 22°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Madawaska’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 Madawaska’s center.
- Snow: Ft Kent, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Frenchville Aroostook Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Madawaska’s climate
What is the weather like in Madawaska?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 99 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 45 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madawaska in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −3°.
How much snow does Madawaska get?
About 99 inches in a normal winter at Ft Kent, ME, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 143 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madawaska?
July, with a typical high of 75°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Frenchville Aroostook Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Madawaska?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 147 frost-free days, at Frenchville Aroostook Airport.
What growing zone is Madawaska in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Madawaska?
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 Madawaska getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Madawaska.
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.