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Climate in Liberty · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Liberty gets about 86 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 96% of U.S. towns#24Snowiest  of 169 in ME
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns#22Coolest summers  of 171 in ME
All ME rankings →

A year in Liberty at a glance

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

Jan28°10° 20" snow
Feb31°12° 19" snow
Mar40°21° 17" snow
Apr52°32° Last frost ~Apr 274" snow
May64°43°
Jun72°52°
Jul78°58° 1 day 90°+
Aug77°56°
Sep69°49°
Oct57°38° First frost ~Oct 19Wettest
Nov now45°29° 3" snow
Dec34°18° 21" snow

What stands out about Liberty’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Liberty feels like

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

Winter
31° / 14°
21 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
52° / 32°
Last frost around Apr 27
Summer
75° / 55°
2 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 39°
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 175 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at W Rockport 1 Nnw, ME, 15 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.

148
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
126th most of 171 in Maine
More freezing nights than 83% of U.S. towns
12
nights at or below 0°
95th most of 171 in Maine
More nights at or below 0° than 87% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 90°
11th fewest of 171 in Maine
Fewer 90° days than 97% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Liberty’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

0.6
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 86 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Albion, ME, falls mostly in January, February and December. 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 138 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
29th wettest of 171 in Maine
Wetter than 81% of U.S. towns
86"
Snow in a normal winter
24th snowiest of 169 in Maine
More snow than 96% of U.S. towns
107 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
37th most of 135 in Maine
More days with snow on the ground than 97% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

21"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Liberty

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.

7,396 heating degree daysMore heating than 92% of U.S. towns
311 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 94% 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 W Rockport 1 Nnw, ME.

Living here

Living with Liberty’s climate

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

The garden window

175 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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. 12 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Liberty from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Liberty and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Liberty in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Freedom: January low 10°, July high 78°Knox: January low 10°, July high 78°Searsmont: January low 10°, July high 78°China: January low 10°, July high 79°Somerville: January low 11°, July high 78°Windsor: January low 11°, July high 79°Hope: January low 12°, July high 77°Union: January low 11°, July high 78°Jefferson: January low 12°, July high 78°Montville: January low 10°, July high 78°Palermo: January low 10°, July high 78°Appleton: January low 11°, July high 78°Washington: January low 11°, July high 78°Liberty: January low 10°, July high 78°LibertyMontvillePalermoAppletonWashington
ColderMilder10° to 12°
Montville9.8° about the same
Palermo10.0° about the same
Liberty10.3°
Appleton10.7° about the same
Washington10.9° about the same

Climates most like Liberty’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
Liberty, ME10°78°49"86"
Hamilton, NY13°79°45"77"
Dalton, MA13°80°48"77"
Jaffrey, NH13°80°47"73"
Northfield, VT7°79°44"76"

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 Liberty averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.8°now 22°, was 20°
Spring+1.2°now 42°, was 41°
Summer+1.4°now 65°, was 64°
Fall+1.6°now 48°, was 46°

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 Liberty compares

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

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns22nd 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 81% of U.S. towns29th wettest of 171 in Maine
Snow86" a winter
More snow than 96% of U.S. towns24th snowiest of 169 in Maine
Hot days2 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 97% of U.S. towns11th fewest of 171 in Maine
Freezing nights148 a year
More freezing nights than 83% of U.S. towns126th most of 171 in Maine
Growing season175 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 64% of U.S. towns157th shortest of 171 in Maine
Month by month

Liberty weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January28°10°3.9"19.6"112710° – 26°
February31°12°3.3"19.3"9278° – 29°
March40°21°4.0"17.0"112523° – 38°
April52°32°4.2"4.3"11538° – 47°
May64°43°3.7"0.0"13048° – 57°
June72°52°4.4"0.0"13059° – 66°
July78°58°3.4"0.0"12064° – 70°
August77°56°3.4"0.0"11064° – 70°
September69°49°4.1"0.0"10055° – 63°
October57°38°5.3"0.9"12043° – 54°
November45°29°4.7"3.4"12332° – 42°
December34°18°4.7"21.0"132020° – 34°
Year54°35°49.0"85.5"138107
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 8° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Liberty’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 Liberty’s center.
  • Snow: Albion, ME.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Rockport 1 Nnw, ME, 15 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Liberty’s climate

What is the weather like in Liberty?

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Liberty in winter?

January nights average 10°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.

How much snow does Liberty get?

About 86 inches in a normal winter at Albion, ME, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 107 days a year.

How hot does it get in Liberty?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (W Rockport 1 Nnw, ME).

When is the first and last frost in Liberty?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 175 frost-free days, at W Rockport 1 Nnw, ME.

What growing zone is Liberty 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 Liberty?

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 Liberty getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.