Steep Falls Library · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Standish’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Standish at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Standish’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Standish’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Standish feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Buxton 2 Nnw, ME, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Windham 2nw, ME, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Standish’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at North Sebago, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Standish
94% 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 Windham 2nw, ME.
Living with Standish’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 63 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Standish from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Standish and its neighbors
Sebago has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Standish’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standish, ME | 11° | 81° | 50" | 70" |
| Walton, NY | 13° | 80° | 47" | 71" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Winchester, CT | 15° | 81° | 52" | 59" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
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 Standish averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Standish compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Standish’s place among Maine’s.
Standish weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Standish’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from North Sebago, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 3.5" | 18.1" | 10 | 11° – 28° |
| February | 34° | 12° | 3.4" | 18.6" | 8 | 10° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 4.2" | 11.4" | 10 | 24° – 40° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 4.5" | 3.3" | 11 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 12 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 4.5" | 2.5" | 11 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 18° | 4.6" | 15.5" | 12 | 20° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 49.9" | 69.7" | 137 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Standish’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 Standish’s center.
- Snow: North Sebago, ME.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Windham 2nw, ME, 8 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: West Buxton 2 Nnw, ME, 6 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 Standish’s climate
What is the weather like in Standish?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Standish in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Standish get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at North Sebago, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Standish?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Windham 2nw, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Standish?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 172 frost-free days, at Windham 2nw, ME.
What growing zone is Standish in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Standish?
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 Standish getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Standish.
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.