Houlton has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Temperatures cover 76° across the year, low to high. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 83% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 22; in half of years the first frost comes by October 19.
A year in Houlton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Houlton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Houlton’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Houlton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stillwater 1 Se, MN, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Houlton’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at U Of Mn St Paul, MN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Houlton
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Stillwater 1 Se, MN.
Living with Houlton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Houlton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Houlton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Houlton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Houlton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houlton, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
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 Houlton averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 59% 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 Houlton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Houlton’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Houlton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Houlton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from U Of Mn St Paul, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 0.8" | 8.3" | 7 | 20 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 0.9" | 12.3" | 6 | 16 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 1.6" | 4.0" | 9 | 9 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 2.9" | 2.1" | 10 | 2 | 35° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 7 | 3 | 24° – 46° |
| December | 28° | 13° | 1.1" | 10.2" | 8 | 12 | 8° – 30° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 32.6" | 40.4" | 116 | 62 |
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 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Houlton’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 Houlton’s center.
- Snow: U Of Mn St Paul, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stillwater 1 Se, MN, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Houlton’s climate
What is the weather like in Houlton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Houlton in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Houlton get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at U Of Mn St Paul, MN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Houlton?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Stillwater 1 Se, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Houlton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 178 frost-free days, at Stillwater 1 Se, MN.
What growing zone is Houlton in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Houlton?
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 Houlton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Houlton.
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.