St. Francis gets about 99 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 75°. A year here swings 77° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about June 2, with the first autumn frost due around September 15.
A year in St. Francis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Francis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Francis’ place in Maine beside it.
What a year in St. Francis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Allagash, ME, 8 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Francis’ center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 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 42 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 St. Francis
99% 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 Allagash, ME.
Living with St. Francis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 2 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 37 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Francis from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Francis and its neighbors
Allagash the hottest July afternoons (77°, 2° 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 St. Francis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis, ME | −2° | 75° | 42" | 99" |
| Harrietstown, NY | 5° | 75° | 46" | 104" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| 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 St. Francis averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 St. Francis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Francis’ place among Maine’s.
St. Francis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Francis’ 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° | −2° | 2.8" | 20.3" | 13 | 31 | −4° – 18° |
| February | 22° | 0° | 2.4" | 21.0" | 11 | 29 | −1° – 22° |
| March | 33° | 11° | 2.8" | 19.0" | 11 | 30 | 11° – 30° |
| April | 45° | 25° | 3.2" | 6.6" | 12 | 15 | 30° – 41° |
| May | 61° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 46° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 75° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| September | 65° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| October | 51° | 33° | 4.3" | 1.1" | 14 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 3.4" | 8.9" | 13 | 10 | 24° – 35° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 3.4" | 22.3" | 14 | 27 | 9° – 25° |
| Year | 48° | 27° | 42.0" | 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 St. Francis’ 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 St. Francis’ center.
- Snow: Ft Kent, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Allagash, ME, 8 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 St. Francis’ climate
What is the weather like in St. Francis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 99 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 30 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Francis in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 218 nights a year reach 32° or below and 66 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does St. Francis 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 St. Francis?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 52°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Allagash, ME).
When is the first and last frost in St. Francis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 102 frost-free days, at Allagash, ME.
What growing zone is St. Francis in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Francis?
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 St. Francis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Francis.
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.