Manchester, ME climate
Manchester has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Manchester feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Manchester weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 10° | 3.3" | 17.6" | 9 | 26 | 9° – 26° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 2.9" | 20.0" | 8 | 26 | 9° – 28° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 3.7" | 12.7" | 9 | 18 | 23° – 38° |
| April | 53° | 32° | 4.1" | 2.8" | 11 | 3 | 39° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 43° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 3.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 4.3" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 18° | 4.1" | 13.3" | 11 | 16 | 20° – 34° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 46.5" | 68.9" | 123 | 91 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Manchester
Manchester gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 91 days of the year.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 16. That leaves about 172 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 58% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Manchester
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Manchester, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Manchester and its neighbors
Manchester borders 7 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Belgrade has the coldest January nights (9°) and Augusta the hottest July afternoons (80°). Manchester’s January low is 10° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Manchester compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Manchester averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Manchester’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 9° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Manchester’s climate
What is the coldest month in Manchester?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 10°.
What is the hottest month in Manchester?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Manchester get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Manchester?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by April 27.
What is the rainiest month in Manchester?
October, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Manchester itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Gardiner, ME (9 mi, snow) and Augusta State Airport, ME (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.