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Main Street, Freeport, Maine (2023)Photo: Seasider53 · CC BY 4.0
Climate in Freeport · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Freeport gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 96% of U.S. towns#31Snowiest  of 168 in ME
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns#32Coolest summers  of 170 in ME
All ME rankings →

A year in Freeport at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan31°14° 21" snow
Feb33°16° 20" snow
Mar41°25° 16" snow
Apr53°34° Last frost ~Apr 285" snow
May63°44°
Jun73°54° 1 day 90°+
Jul78°60° 2 days 90°+
Aug77°59° 1 day 90°+
Sep70°52°
Oct58°41° First frost ~Oct 19Wettest
Nov now47°31° 4" snow
Dec37°21° 18" snow

What stands out about Freeport’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Freeport’s place in Maine beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Freeport feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
34° / 17°
20 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
52° / 34°
Last frost around Apr 28
Summer
76° / 58°
5 days reach 90°
Fall
58° / 41°
First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 172 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gray, ME, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.

144
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
152nd most of 170 in Maine
More freezing nights than 80% of U.S. towns
7
nights at or below 0°
146th most of 170 in Maine
More nights at or below 0° than 77% of U.S. towns
5
days that reach 90°
79th fewest of 170 in Maine
Fewer 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Freeport’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

30
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

1.6
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

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.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
37th wettest of 170 in Maine
Wetter than 80% of U.S. towns
84"
Snow in a normal winter
31st snowiest of 168 in Maine
More snow than 96% of U.S. towns
101 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
49th most of 134 in Maine
More days with snow on the ground than 96% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

21"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Freeport

95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

7,163 heating degree daysMore heating than 89% of U.S. towns
396 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 91% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Gray, ME.

Living here

Living with Freeport’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 52 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Freeport from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Freeport and its neighbors

Durham has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 2° colder) and Pownal the hottest July afternoons (80°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Cumberland: January low 13°, July high 80°North Yarmouth: January low 12°, July high 80°Topsham: January low 12°, July high 79°West Bath: January low 14°, July high 77°Bath: January low 13°, July high 78°Phippsburg: January low 15°, July high 77°New Gloucester: January low 11°, July high 80°Lisbon: January low 11°, July high 80°Lisbon Falls: January low 11°, July high 80°Lewiston: January low 10°, July high 80°Auburn: January low 10°, July high 80°Portland: January low 16°, July high 79°Yarmouth: January low 14°, July high 78°Brunswick: January low 14°, July high 78°Harpswell: January low 15°, July high 78°Pownal: January low 12°, July high 80°Durham: January low 12°, July high 80°Chebeague Island: January low 14°, July high 78°Freeport: January low 14°, July high 78°FreeportYarmouthBrunswickHarpswellPownalDurhamChebeague Island
ColderMilder10° to 16°
Durham11.6° −2.3°
Pownal12.0° −1.9°
Brunswick13.7° about the same
Freeport13.9°
Yarmouth14.3° about the same
Chebeague Island14.3° about the same
Harpswell14.5° about the same

Climates most like Freeport’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Freeport, ME14°78°49"84"
Hamilton, NY13°79°45"77"
Dalton, MA13°80°48"77"
Bradford, PA15°80°44"75"
Bennington, VT13°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Freeport averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 79% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.7°now 25°, was 23°
Spring+1.3°now 43°, was 42°
Summer+1.6°now 67°, was 65°
Fall+1.6°now 50°, was 48°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Freeport compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Freeport’s place among Maine’s.

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns32nd coolest of 170 in Maine
Winter cold14° January low
Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns140th coldest of 170 in Maine
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 80% of U.S. towns37th wettest of 170 in Maine
Snow84" a winter
More snow than 96% of U.S. towns31st snowiest of 168 in Maine
Hot days5 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns79th fewest of 170 in Maine
Freezing nights144 a year
More freezing nights than 80% of U.S. towns152nd most of 170 in Maine
Growing season172 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 69% of U.S. towns134th shortest of 170 in Maine
Month by month

Freeport weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Freeport’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gray, ME. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January31°14°3.5"20.6"112913° – 30°
February33°16°3.3"20.4"102712° – 31°
March41°25°4.1"16.2"112125° – 40°
April53°34°4.4"4.7"12540° – 48°
May63°44°3.7"0.0"14049° – 58°
June73°54°4.4"0.0"13060° – 67°
July78°60°3.6"0.0"12064° – 72°
August77°59°3.5"0.0"11066° – 71°
September70°52°4.0"0.0"10057° – 65°
October58°41°5.2"0.6"12046° – 57°
November47°31°4.5"3.8"11333° – 44°
December37°21°4.5"17.7"131722° – 37°
Year55°38°48.8"84.0"140101
Year to year

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 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Freeport’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 Freeport’s center.
  • Snow: Gray, ME.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gray, ME, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher; 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 Freeport’s climate

What is the weather like in Freeport?

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 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Freeport 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 Freeport 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 Freeport?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Gray, ME).

When is the first and last frost in Freeport?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 172 frost-free days, at Gray, ME.

What growing zone is Freeport in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.

What is the best time of year to visit Freeport?

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 Freeport getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Freeport.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.