Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domainShapleigh gets about 81 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Shapleigh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shapleigh’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shapleigh’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Shapleigh feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sanford 2 Nnw, ME, 7 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shapleigh’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 81 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hollis, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 20 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shapleigh
95% 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 Sanford 2 Nnw, ME.
Living with Shapleigh’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shapleigh from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shapleigh and its neighbors
Sanford the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° 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 Shapleigh’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shapleigh, ME | 12° | 80° | 51" | 81" |
| Liberty, NY | 14° | 79° | 52" | 70" |
| Winchester, CT | 15° | 81° | 52" | 59" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Great Barrington, MA | 14° | 82° | 45" | 50" |
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 Shapleigh averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
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 Shapleigh compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shapleigh’s place among Maine’s.
Shapleigh weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shapleigh’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hollis, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 12° | 3.6" | 19.8" | 12 | 29 | 11° – 29° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 3.4" | 20.4" | 10 | 28 | 9° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 4.3" | 15.4" | 11 | 24 | 24° – 40° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 4.5" | 3.7" | 12 | 6 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 5.5" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 4.5" | 3.4" | 12 | 3 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 4.7" | 17.7" | 12 | 19 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 50.9" | 80.9" | 138 | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shapleigh’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 Shapleigh’s center.
- Snow: Hollis, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sanford 2 Nnw, ME, 7 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower; 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 Shapleigh’s climate
What is the weather like in Shapleigh?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 81 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shapleigh in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Shapleigh get?
About 81 inches in a normal winter at Hollis, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 20 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shapleigh?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Sanford 2 Nnw, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Shapleigh?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 136 frost-free days, at Sanford 2 Nnw, ME.
What growing zone is Shapleigh in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shapleigh?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Shapleigh 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 Shapleigh.
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.