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Climate in Frye Island · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

January in Frye Island bites harder than in 93% of U.S. towns

Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 90% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.

Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns#81 coldest of 171 in ME
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns#107Snowiest  of 169 in ME
All ME rankings →

A year in Frye Island at a glance

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

Jan30°10° 18" snow
Feb33°12° 19" snow
Mar42°22° 11" snow
Apr55°32° Last frost ~Apr 303" snow
May67°43°
Jun75°52° 1 day 90°+
Jul81°58° 4 days 90°+
Aug79°57° 2 days 90°+
Sep71°49° 1 day 90°+
Oct59°38° First frost ~Oct 20Wettest
Nov now46°28°
Dec36°18° 16" snow

What stands out about Frye Island’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Frye Island feels like

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

Winter
33° / 14°
19 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
54° / 32°
Last frost around Apr 30
Summer
78° / 56°
8 days reach 90°
Fall
59° / 38°
First frost around Oct 20
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 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Windham 2nw, ME, 3 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.

Short record. NOAA estimated Windham 2nw, ME’s counts from 9 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
147
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
132nd most of 171 in Maine
More freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns
11
nights at or below 0°
110th most of 171 in Maine
More nights at or below 0° than 86% of U.S. towns
8
days that reach 90°
146th fewest of 171 in Maine
Fewer 90° days than 82% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
152nd fewest of 171 in Maine
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Frye Island’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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

3.6
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 70 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at North Sebago, ME, is heaviest from January through February, about 18 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 137 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
34th wettest of 171 in Maine
Wetter than 80% of U.S. towns
70"
Snow in a normal winter
107th snowiest of 169 in Maine
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

19"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Frye 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.

7,434 heating degree daysMore heating than 92% of U.S. towns
447 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 88% 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 Windham 2nw, ME.

Living here

Living with Frye Island’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 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 20.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.3 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Frye Island from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Frye Island and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Frye Island yet.

Climates most like Frye 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Frye Island, ME10°81°49"70"
Walton, NY13°80°47"71"
Dalton, MA13°80°48"77"
Winchester, CT15°81°52"59"
Bradford, PA15°80°44"75"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Frye Island averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 74% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.6°now 23°, was 21°
Spring+1.3°now 43°, was 42°
Summer+1.5°now 67°, was 65°
Fall+1.4°now 48°, was 47°

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 Frye Island compares

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

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns147th coolest of 171 in Maine
Winter cold10° January low
Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns81st coldest of 171 in Maine
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 80% of U.S. towns34th wettest of 171 in Maine
Snow70" a winter
More snow than 92% of U.S. towns107th snowiest of 169 in Maine
Hot days8 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 82% of U.S. towns146th fewest of 171 in Maine
Freezing nights147 a year
More freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns132nd most of 171 in Maine
Growing season172 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 69% of U.S. towns134th shortest of 171 in Maine
Month by month

Frye Island weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January30°10°3.4"18.1"1010° – 28°
February33°12°3.3"18.6"810° – 30°
March42°22°4.0"11.4"1024° – 39°
April55°32°4.4"3.3"1140° – 48°
May67°43°3.8"0.0"1449° – 60°
June75°52°4.5"0.0"1561° – 67°
July81°58°3.8"0.0"1265° – 72°
August79°57°3.7"0.0"1266° – 71°
September71°49°3.9"0.0"1056° – 64°
October59°38°5.3"0.3"1244° – 55°
November46°28°4.4"2.5"1132° – 42°
December36°18°4.5"15.5"1220° – 35°
Year56°35°48.9"69.7"137
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 10° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Frye 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 Frye Island’s center.
  • Snow: North Sebago, ME.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Windham 2nw, ME, 3 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Frye Island’s climate

What is the weather like in Frye Island?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Frye Island in winter?

January nights average 10°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.

How much snow does Frye Island get?

About 70 inches in a normal winter at North Sebago, ME, heaviest from January through February, about 18 inches a month.

How hot does it get in Frye Island?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Windham 2nw, ME).

When is the first and last frost in Frye Island?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 172 frost-free days, at Windham 2nw, ME.

What growing zone is Frye Island in?

Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.

What is the best time of year to visit Frye 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 Frye Island getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Frye Island.

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.