Capt. Joel Whitney House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Phillips gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about May 16; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Phillips at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Phillips’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Phillips’ place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Phillips feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 26. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rangeley, ME, 16 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Farmington, ME, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Phillips’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 94 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Farmington, ME, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Phillips
97% 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 Farmington, ME.
Living with Phillips’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Phillips from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Phillips and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Phillips in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Phillips’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips, ME | 6° | 78° | 46" | 94" |
| Malone, NY | 6° | 77° | 44" | 98" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Jaffrey, NH | 13° | 80° | 47" | 73" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
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 Phillips averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Phillips compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Phillips’ place among Maine’s.
Phillips weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Phillips’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Farmington, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 6° | 3.0" | 20.7" | 11 | 29 | 4° – 23° |
| February | 29° | 7° | 2.7" | 22.9" | 9 | 28 | 5° – 25° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 3.3" | 18.8" | 11 | 24 | 17° – 35° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 3.9" | 5.3" | 11 | 5 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 36° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 4.1" | 4.9" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 3.9" | 20.8" | 13 | 21 | 16° – 32° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 45.9" | 93.9" | 139 | 112 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Phillips’ 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 Phillips’ center.
- Snow: Farmington, ME.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Farmington, ME, 15 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Rangeley, ME, 16 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Phillips’ climate
What is the weather like in Phillips?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Phillips in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below and 48 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Phillips get?
About 94 inches in a normal winter at Farmington, ME, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 112 days a year.
How hot does it get in Phillips?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Farmington, ME.
When is the first and last frost in Phillips?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 130 frost-free days, at Farmington, ME.
What growing zone is Phillips in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Phillips?
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 Phillips getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Phillips.
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.