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Union Square, Pembroke, Maine 2012Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Pembroke · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Pembroke’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 89% of U.S. towns#152Snowiest  of 169 in ME
Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns#140 coldest of 171 in ME
All ME rankings →

A year in Pembroke at a glance

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

Jan30°14° 15" snow
Feb32°15° 14" snow
Mar39°23° 13" snow
Apr50°33° Last frost ~Apr 294" snow
May60°41°
Jun68°49°
Jul74°55°
Aug74°56°
Sep67°50°
Oct56°41° First frost ~Oct 25Wettest
Nov now46°32°
Dec36°22° 14" snow

What stands out about Pembroke’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Pembroke feels like

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

Winter
33° / 17°
16 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
49° / 33°
Last frost around Apr 29
Summer
72° / 53°
1 days reach 90°
Fall
56° / 41°
First frost around Oct 25
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 178 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eastport, ME, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

138
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
170th most of 171 in Maine
More freezing nights than 75% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
168th most of 171 in Maine
More nights at or below 0° than 72% of U.S. towns
1
days that reach 90°
5th fewest of 171 in Maine
Fewer 90° days than 98% 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 Pembroke’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

0.4
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 62 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Eastport, ME, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; October is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.

50"
Rain + melted snow a year
9th wettest of 171 in Maine
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns
62"
Snow in a normal winter
152nd snowiest of 169 in Maine
More snow than 89% of U.S. towns
72 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
119th most of 135 in Maine
More days with snow on the ground than 87% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

15"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Pembroke

98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

7,404 heating degree daysMore heating than 92% of U.S. towns
125 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% 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 Eastport, ME.

Living here

Living with Pembroke’s climate

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

The garden window

178 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 25.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pembroke from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Pembroke and its neighbors

Charlotte has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 3° colder) and Charlotte the hottest July afternoons (77°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Eastport: January low 15°, July high 72°Robbinston: January low 13°, July high 75°Cooper: January low 11°, July high 78°Meddybemps: January low 10°, July high 78°Baring plantation: January low 10°, July high 78°Perry: January low 14°, July high 74°Dennysville: January low 14°, July high 75°Lubec: January low 15°, July high 72°Charlotte: January low 11°, July high 77°Pembroke: January low 14°, July high 74°PembrokePerryDennysvilleLubecCharlotte
ColderMilder10° to 15°
Charlotte10.9° −3.0°
Perry13.6° about the same
Dennysville13.6° about the same
Pembroke13.9°
Lubec15.3° +1.4°

Climates most like Pembroke’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
Pembroke, ME14°74°50"62"
Corinth, NY9°77°51"60"
Hazleton, PA16°78°51"42"
Gilford, NH11°79°50"62"
Ashburnham, MA14°80°50"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 Pembroke averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+2.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 92% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.7°now 25°, was 22°
Spring+1.5°now 41°, was 39°
Summer+2.2°now 63°, was 60°
Fall+1.9°now 49°, 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 Pembroke compares

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

Summer heat74° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 163 U.S. townsThe coolest of 171 in Maine
Winter cold14° January low
Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns140th coldest of 171 in Maine
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns9th wettest of 171 in Maine
Snow62" a winter
More snow than 89% of U.S. towns152nd snowiest of 169 in Maine
Hot days1 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 98% of U.S. towns5th fewest of 171 in Maine
Freezing nights138 a year
More freezing nights than 75% of U.S. towns170th most of 171 in Maine
Growing season178 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 59% of U.S. towns170th shortest of 171 in Maine
Month by month

Pembroke weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January30°14°4.2"15.3"122112° – 30°
February32°15°3.4"13.7"111812° – 29°
March39°23°4.1"12.7"121624° – 37°
April50°33°4.1"4.1"11237° – 47°
May60°41°3.9"0.0"12047° – 54°
June68°49°4.0"0.0"13056° – 62°
July74°55°3.6"0.0"12061° – 67°
August74°56°3.3"0.0"10062° – 68°
September67°50°4.0"0.0"11055° – 63°
October56°41°5.2"0.1"11045° – 55°
November46°32°4.8"1.6"12234° – 43°
December36°22°5.0"14.3"141423° – 36°
Year53°36°49.7"61.8"14072
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 30°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Pembroke’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 Pembroke’s center.
  • Snow: Eastport, ME.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eastport, ME, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Pembroke’s climate

What is the weather like in Pembroke?

A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 163 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Pembroke in winter?

January nights average 14°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.

How much snow does Pembroke get?

About 62 inches in a normal winter at Eastport, ME, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.

How hot does it get in Pembroke?

July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Eastport, ME).

When is the first and last frost in Pembroke?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 178 frost-free days, at Eastport, ME.

What growing zone is Pembroke 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 Pembroke?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Pembroke getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.