Clayton Lake, Maine climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Clayton Lake's normal year runs from −3°F January nights to 76°F July afternoons, with 39.9 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.1°C, January lows of −20°C, July highs of 24°C, 1,013 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationClayton Lake
- Station IDUSC00171472
- Location46.61°N 69.52°W
- Elevation1,000 ft (305 m)
On October 22, the normal high in Clayton Lake is 49°F and the normal low 30°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 38%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Clayton Lake.
- Jan 20° -3°
- Feb 24° -4°
- Mar 34° 7°
- Apr 46° 25°
- May 61° 37°
- Jun 71° 47°
- Jul 76° 52°
- Aug 74° 50°
- Sep 66° 41°
- Oct 51° 32°
- Nov 38° 22°
- Dec 26° 7°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Clayton Lake each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 76°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −3°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.81 in), the least in February (2.27 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°F | −3°F | 8.1°F | 2.68 | 10 | <1 | 31 | 9 h |
| February | 24°F | −4°F | 9.9°F | 2.27 | 9 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 34°F | 7°F | 20.5°F | 2.66 | 9 | <1 | 30 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 46°F | 25°F | 35.4°F | 3.19 | 10 | <1 | 26 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 61°F | 37°F | 49.1°F | 3.63 | 11 | <1 | 13 | 15 h |
| June | 71°F | 47°F | 59.0°F | 4.17 | 12 | <1 | 2 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 76°F | 52°F | 64.1°F | 4.81 | 14 | <1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 74°F | 50°F | 62.0°F | 3.45 | 9 | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 66°F | 41°F | 53.5°F | 3.22 | 10 | <1 | 7 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 51°F | 32°F | 41.4°F | 4.07 | 12 | <1 | 20 | 11 h |
| November | 38°F | 22°F | 30.0°F | 2.53 | 11 | <1 | 26 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 26°F | 7°F | 16.6°F | 3.19 | 11 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 49°F | 26°F | 37.5°F | 39.87 | 128 | 1 | 211 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −7°C | −20°C | −13.3°C | 68 mm |
| February | −5°C | −20°C | −12.3°C | 58 mm |
| March | 1°C | −14°C | −6.4°C | 68 mm |
| April | 8°C | −4°C | 1.9°C | 81 mm |
| May | 16°C | 3°C | 9.5°C | 92 mm |
| June | 22°C | 8°C | 15.0°C | 106 mm |
| July | 24°C | 11°C | 17.8°C | 122 mm |
| August | 23°C | 10°C | 16.7°C | 88 mm |
| September | 19°C | 5°C | 11.9°C | 82 mm |
| October | 11°C | 0°C | 5.2°C | 103 mm |
| November | 4°C | −6°C | −1.1°C | 64 mm |
| December | −3°C | −14°C | −8.6°C | 81 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station, and no record within 25 miles keeps one, so snow is left out here rather than estimated.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00171472; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Clayton Lake?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, August has the fewest days with rain (9).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00171472.
When is the last frost at Clayton Lake?
In Clayton Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 30 in half of years and after June 12 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 13 in half of years and before August 29 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 301 year in 10 after June 12; 9 in 10 after May 12
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 131 year in 10 before August 29; 9 in 10 before September 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 106 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 134 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 13 in half of springs and before September 27 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clayton Lake in zone 3b in ZIP code 04737, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Maine · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00171472; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Clayton Lake?
In a normal year in Clayton Lake, 1 day a year reaches 90°F, 211 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 128 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 211a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 93high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 128a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00171472.
How sunny is it at Clayton Lake?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Clayton Lake, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. September is the sunniest month (73%) and December the cloudiest (56%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 63% | 1.4 |
| February | 66% | 2.3 |
| March | 68% | 3.5 |
| April | 67% | 4.6 |
| May | 65% | 5.1 |
| June | 67% | 5.6 |
| July | 72% | 5.6 |
| August | 73% | 4.9 |
| September | 73% | 3.9 |
| October | 63% | 2.3 |
| November | 58% | 1.4 |
| December | 56% | 1.0 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Clayton Lake record?
A normal year at Clayton Lake brings 10,136 heating degree days, 89% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 138 cooling degree days, 85% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,353 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,765 | 0 |
| February | 1,543 | 0 |
| March | 1,380 | 0 |
| April | 888 | 0 |
| May | 498 | 3 |
| June | 208 | 27 |
| July | 88 | 58 |
| August | 133 | 38 |
| September | 357 | 12 |
| October | 730 | 0 |
| November | 1,049 | 0 |
| December | 1,499 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 10,136 | 138 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00171472. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Clayton Lake's climate compare?
Clayton Lake is warmer than 0 of the 42 places with their own NOAA record in Maine, and wetter than 2. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 37.5°F is warmer than 3%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Clayton Lake is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Clayton Lake's climate
What is the coldest month at Clayton Lake?
January, with a normal high of 20°F and a normal low of −3°F. The warmest is July (76°F by day, 52°F at night).
What is the rainiest month at Clayton Lake?
July, with 4.81 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.27 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Clayton Lake in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Clayton Lake in zone 3b in ZIP code 04737, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Clayton Lake?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 30; in one year in ten it comes after June 12. Waiting until June 12 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Maine climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Allagash, ME40 miles from this station, 37.4°F a year
- Pittston Farm, ME54 miles from this station, 38.8°F a year
- Fort Kent, ME61 miles from this station, 37.8°F a year
- Patten, ME63 miles from this station, 40.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made