Sanford weather in August

In August, Sanford sees average daytime highs of 78°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 76°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in August, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Sanford's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
78°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
61°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
4:53 AM – 6:41 PM
Cloud cover
56%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Sanford is city in York County, Maine, United States.

Density
165/km²
people per km²
Founded
1739

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 76°F by the end.

A typical August day in Sanford reaches about 78°F in the afternoon and slips back to 61°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 1°F cooler than July and about 8°F warmer than September.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17963
27963
37963
47963
57963
67963
77963
87962
97962
107962
117862
127862
137862
147862
157862
167861
177861
187861
197861
207861
217761
227760
237760
247760
257760
267760
277659
287659
297659
307659
317658

How August really feels in Sanford

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Sanford weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 16°3.39.37.19.10.0
Feb33° / 17°3.28.76.710.20.0
Mar41° / 26°4.110.96.211.60.3
Apr53° / 37°4.110.52.313.23.1
May64° / 47°3.210.50.114.55.5
Jun74° / 56°4.011.7015.26.4
Jul79° / 63°3.711.4014.96.4
Aug78° / 61°3.59.5013.86.9
Sep70° / 54°3.58.7012.36.8
Oct58° / 43°4.39.50.310.84.6
Nov47° / 33°3.69.11.79.51.5
Dec36° / 24°4.310.46.18.80.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25050
35149
45149
55149
65050
75050
85149
95149
105149
115149
124951
134951
145050
155149
165149
175149
185347
195347
205446
215545
225644
235743
245842
255842
265941
275941
285941
295941
305941
315842

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Sanford gets around 3.5 in of rain over 9.5 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 31% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
236
336
435
535
635
735
835
934
1034
1134
1234
1333
1433
1532
1632
1731
1831
1930
2029
2128
2228
2327
2426
2526
2626
2725
2825
2925
3025
3126

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the comfortable band about 29% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 22% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1142533244
2142532244
3152632244
4152632234
5152632234
6152732234
7152731234
8152831223
9162831223
10162831223
11162931213
12172931213
13172931212
14173030202
15173030202
16183130202
17183130192
18193129192
19203129192
20213128182
21223127182
22243027182
23253026172
24273025172
25283024162
26302923162
27312923152
28322922152
29332922142
30352821142
31362821142

Wind in August

Winds average 6 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 4:36 AM to 5:10 AM, and sunset from 7:02 PM to 6:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.44:367:02
214.44:387:01
314.34:396:59
414.34:406:58
514.34:416:57
614.24:426:56
714.24:436:54
814.14:446:53
914.14:456:52
1014.14:466:50
1114.04:476:49
1214.04:496:47
1313.94:506:46
1413.94:516:44
1513.84:526:43
1613.84:536:41
1713.84:546:40
1813.74:556:38
1913.74:576:36
2013.64:586:35
2113.64:596:33
2213.55:006:32
2313.55:016:30
2413.45:026:28
2513.45:036:27
2613.35:056:25
2713.35:066:23
2813.25:076:21
2913.25:086:20
3013.15:096:18
3113.15:106:16

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Sanford

In seasonPeak

In August, Sanford sits inside its atlantic hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Sanford sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Sanford?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Sanford for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sanford in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Sanford sees daytime highs around 78°F and nights near 61°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Sanford in August

The nearest coast averages about 64°F in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 21 mi away) is warmest in August at about 64°F and coldest in March near 38°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May48Bracing
Jun56Bracing
Jul62Cool
Aug64Cool
Sep61Cool
Oct55Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Sanford in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanford peaks around July 12 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateModerateLowJul 12UV 7Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sanford?

Sanford sits at 43.4°N, 70.8°W, 302 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rochester, 14 mi away.

Topography around Sanford

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Sanford.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sanford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 492 ft around an average of 374 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,066 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,101 ft.

The land around Sanford is covered by trees (77%) within 2 miles, trees (87%) within 10 miles, and trees (68%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
492 ft
10 miles
1,066 ft
50 miles
4,101 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
August weather nearby: Rochester 14 mi · Biddeford 17 mi · Saco 17 mi · Dover 17 mi · West Scarborough 21 mi · Portsmouth 25 mi · Westbrook 26 mi · South Portland Gardens 27 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Sanford (43.4393°, -70.7742°, elevation 302 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).