Temple gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 76°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 16, with the first autumn frost due around September 26.
A year in Temple at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Temple’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Temple’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Temple 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. Frost and day counts come from Farmington, ME, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Temple’s 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
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 51 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 Temple
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 Temple’s 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. 53 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Temple from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Temple and its neighbors
Farmington the hottest July afternoons (79°, 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 Temple’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple, ME | 7° | 76° | 51" | 94" |
| Harrietstown, NY | 5° | 75° | 46" | 104" |
| Ashburnham, MA | 14° | 80° | 50" | 75" |
| New Ipswich, NH | 14° | 80° | 50" | 75" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
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 Temple averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.7°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Temple compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Temple’s place among Maine’s.
Temple weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Temple’s 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° | 7° | 3.5" | 20.7" | 11 | 29 | 5° – 24° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 3.0" | 22.9" | 9 | 28 | 6° – 26° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 3.7" | 18.8" | 11 | 24 | 19° – 36° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 4.3" | 5.3" | 11 | 5 | 36° – 45° |
| May | 63° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 37° | 5.5" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 4.7" | 4.9" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 4.4" | 20.8" | 13 | 21 | 17° – 31° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 50.8" | 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 6° to 26°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Temple’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 Temple’s center.
- Snow: Farmington, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Farmington, ME, 5 miles from the town’s center, 830 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Temple’s climate
What is the weather like in Temple?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Temple in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Temple 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 Temple?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Farmington, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Temple?
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 Temple 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 Temple?
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 Temple getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Temple.
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.