St. Mary's-By-The-Sea · Photo: Suekoehler · CC BY-SA 4.0Mount Desert’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 77°
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 14°.
A year in Mount Desert at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mount Desert’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mount Desert’s place in Maine beside it.
What a year in Mount Desert feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Acadia Np, ME, 4 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mount Desert’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 50 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Desert
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 Acadia Np, ME.
Living with Mount Desert’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 110 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Desert from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mount Desert and its neighbors
Surry has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what 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 Mount Desert averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Mount Desert compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mount Desert’s place among Maine’s.
Mount Desert weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Desert’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 4.2" | 13° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 3.4" | 10° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 24° | 4.1" | 25° – 39° |
| April | 51° | 34° | 4.4" | 39° – 48° |
| May | 62° | 43° | 3.8" | 47° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 52° | 4.2" | 58° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 58° | 3.2" | 63° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 3.1" | 64° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 51° | 3.9" | 56° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 41° | 5.5" | 44° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 5.0" | 34° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 5.2" | 22° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 37° | 49.9" |
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 6°.
Where Mount Desert’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 Mount Desert’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Acadia Np, ME, 4 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Mount Desert’s climate
What is the weather like in Mount Desert?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 14°. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mount Desert in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How hot does it get in Mount Desert?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Acadia Np, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Mount Desert?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Acadia Np, ME.
What growing zone is Mount Desert in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mount Desert?
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 Mount Desert getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Desert.
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.