Photo: Pooley1999 · CC BY-SA 3.0Machias gets about 109 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 78°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 67–78° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Machias at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Machias’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Machias’ place in New York beside it.
What a year in Machias feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Franklinville, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Machias’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 109 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Franklinville, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 187 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Machias
96% 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 Franklinville, NY.
Living with Machias’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Machias from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Machias and its neighbors
Ashford the hottest July afternoons (79°, 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 Machias’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machias, NY | 14° | 78° | 45" | 109" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Waterbury, VT | 7° | 79° | 43" | 126" |
| Wakefield, NH | 11° | 80° | 49" | 81" |
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 Machias averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Machias compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Machias’ place among New York’s.
Machias weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Machias’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Franklinville, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 3.5" | 29.8" | 20 | 26 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 2.7" | 21.5" | 16 | 23 | 8° – 33° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 3.1" | 17.1" | 16 | 18 | 23° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.5" | 3.9" | 15 | 3 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.5" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.7" | 11.9" | 16 | 7 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 4.0" | 23.9" | 20 | 19 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 45.4" | 108.6" | 187 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Machias’ 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 Machias’ center.
- Snow: Franklinville, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Franklinville, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Machias’ climate
What is the weather like in Machias?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 109 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Machias in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 169 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 14°.
How much snow does Machias get?
About 109 inches in a normal winter at Franklinville, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Machias?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Franklinville, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Machias?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 144 frost-free days, at Franklinville, NY.
What growing zone is Machias in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Machias?
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 Machias getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Machias.
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.