Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainPatten’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 77°
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°.
A year in Patten at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Patten’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Patten’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Patten 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, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Patten’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 44 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Patten
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 Patten’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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. 62 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Patten from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Patten and its neighbors
Mount Chase has the coldest January nights next door (3°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Patten averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Patten compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Patten’s place among Maine’s.
Patten weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Patten’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 4° | 3.2" | 1° – 21° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 2.6" | 4° – 23° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 3.1" | 17° – 33° |
| April | 49° | 29° | 3.5" | 35° – 45° |
| May | 63° | 40° | 3.6" | 47° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.3" | 57° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 3.8" | 61° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 3.9" | 61° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 52° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 4.7" | 39° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 3.9" | 28° – 38° |
| December | 29° | 13° | 3.9" | 15° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 44.2" |
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 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Patten’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 Patten’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Patten 2, ME, 2.4 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 Patten’s climate
What is the weather like in Patten?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°. Colder January nights than all but 156 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Patten 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 1°.
How hot does it get in Patten?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Patten 2, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Patten?
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 Patten in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Patten?
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 Patten getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Patten.
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.