Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Lee
Midsummer highs settle at about 79°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 65–79°.
A year in Lee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lee’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Lee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME, 10 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lee’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 44 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lee
96% 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 Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME.
Living with Lee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lee and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lee in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Lee averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Lee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lee’s place among Maine’s.
Lee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lee’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 7° | 3.4" | 5° – 24° |
| February | 29° | 8° | 2.7" | 7° – 26° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 3.4" | 20° – 36° |
| April | 51° | 30° | 3.5" | 37° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.6" | 48° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.1" | 58° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 3.7" | 62° – 70° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.4" | 63° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 3.6" | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 4.6" | 41° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 4.0" | 30° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 4.3" | 18° – 32° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 44.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 26°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lee’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 Lee’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME, 10 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower; 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 Lee’s climate
What is the weather like in Lee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lee in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How hot does it get in Lee?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Lee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 153 frost-free days, at Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, ME.
What growing zone is Lee in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lee?
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 Lee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lee.
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.