Photo: Gkuriger · CC BY-SA 4.0Chebeague Island gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.8° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 26 to October 15.
A year in Chebeague Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chebeague Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chebeague Island’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Chebeague Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Portland International Jetport, ME, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chebeague Island’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gray, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 21 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chebeague Island
94% 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 Portland International Jetport, ME.
Living with Chebeague Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chebeague Island from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chebeague Island and its neighbors
Cumberland has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 1° colder) and Cumberland the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° 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 Chebeague Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chebeague Island, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Hamilton, NY | 13° | 79° | 45" | 77" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 44" | 75" |
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 Chebeague Island averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Chebeague Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chebeague Island’s place among Maine’s.
Chebeague Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chebeague Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gray, ME. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 3.5" | 20.6" | 11 | 29 | 13° – 30° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 3.4" | 20.4" | 10 | 27 | 12° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 25° | 4.1" | 16.2" | 11 | 21 | 25° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 34° | 4.4" | 4.7" | 12 | 5 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 63° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 41° | 5.2" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 4.5" | 3.8" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 4.5" | 17.7" | 13 | 17 | 22° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 38° | 48.6" | 84.0" | 140 | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Chebeague Island’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 Chebeague Island’s center.
- Snow: Gray, ME.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Portland International Jetport, ME, 12 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 Chebeague Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Chebeague Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chebeague Island in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Chebeague Island get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Gray, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 21 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 101 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chebeague Island?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Portland International Jetport, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Chebeague Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 170 frost-free days, at Portland International Jetport, ME.
What growing zone is Chebeague Island in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chebeague Island?
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 Chebeague Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chebeague Island.
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.