Portage Lake gets about 118 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 144 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 77°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 77°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to September, with highs of 67–77°.
A year in Portage Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Portage Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Portage Lake’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Portage Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Caribou Muni Airport, 23 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Portage Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 118 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Caribou Muni Airport, 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 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Portage Lake
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 Caribou Muni Airport.
Living with Portage Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 32 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Portage Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Portage Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Portage Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Portage Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Lake, ME | 0° | 77° | 40" | 118" |
| Tupper Lake, NY | 5° | 78° | 43" | 105" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| 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 Portage Lake averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Portage Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Portage Lake’s place among Maine’s.
Portage Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Portage Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Caribou Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 0° | 2.7" | 25.0" | 14 | 30 | −2° – 18° |
| February | 24° | 1° | 2.3" | 25.3" | 12 | 29 | 1° – 22° |
| March | 35° | 12° | 2.5" | 21.4" | 13 | 30 | 14° – 31° |
| April | 48° | 27° | 3.0" | 8.3" | 13 | 13 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 63° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 34° | 4.1" | 1.7" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 24° | 3.2" | 10.4" | 13 | 9 | 26° – 37° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 3.3" | 25.2" | 15 | 25 | 12° – 27° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 39.8" | 118.2" | 161 | 136 |
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 Portage Lake’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 Portage Lake’s center.
- Snow: Caribou Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Caribou Muni Airport, 23 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 Portage Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Portage Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 44 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Portage Lake in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Portage Lake get?
About 118 inches in a normal winter at Caribou Muni Airport, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 136 days a year.
How hot does it get in Portage Lake?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Caribou Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Portage Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 143 frost-free days, at Caribou Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Portage Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Portage Lake?
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 Portage Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Portage Lake.
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.