Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Upton gets about 112 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 77°. Seasons differ by 73°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 68–77°.
A year in Upton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upton’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Upton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Middle Dam, ME, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upton’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 112 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Andover 2, ME, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upton
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 Middle Dam, ME.
Living with Upton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 19 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. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Upton yet.
Climates most like Upton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton, ME | 5° | 77° | 43" | 112" |
| Tupper Lake, NY | 5° | 78° | 43" | 105" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Upton averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Upton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upton’s place among Maine’s.
Upton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Andover 2, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 5° | 2.9" | 22.5" | 11 | 30 | 4° – 23° |
| February | 28° | 6° | 2.4" | 26.5" | 9 | 28 | 4° – 24° |
| March | 37° | 15° | 2.9" | 17.6" | 9 | 28 | 16° – 34° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 3.4" | 7.0" | 11 | 13 | 35° – 44° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 77° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 68° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 4.5" | 0.6" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 3.3" | 8.3" | 11 | 8 | 28° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 3.6" | 29.1" | 14 | 25 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 42.6" | 111.8" | 141 | 133 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Upton’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 Upton’s center.
- Snow: Andover 2, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Middle Dam, ME, 5 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 Upton’s climate
What is the weather like in Upton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 112 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 170 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upton in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Upton get?
About 112 inches in a normal winter at Andover 2, ME, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 133 days a year.
How hot does it get in Upton?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 53°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Middle Dam, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Upton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 133 frost-free days, at Middle Dam, ME.
What growing zone is Upton in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Upton?
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 Upton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upton.
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.