Climate Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 44°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
- 44°F
- Avg annual temp
- 44/100
- Comfort score
- 50.9"
- Annual precip
- 149d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Bethel
Bethel, Maine averages 44°F a year and scores 44/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 8% of U.S. cities.
- 44°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 44/100
- comfort score, milder than 8% of U.S. cities
- 50.9"
- annual precipitation
- 149 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
44°F (7°C)
Avg High
54°F
Avg Low
34°F
Annual Precip
50.9"
Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
44°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
50.9"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Bethel) 44.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Bethel area.
How Bethel compares to every U.S. city
Bethel's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 Top 92% higher than 8% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Bethel
MethodologyBethel's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F (-2°C) | 8°F (-13°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 3.7" | 30.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 31°F (-1°C) | 11°F (-12°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 3.1" | 27.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 40°F (4°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 3.5" | 27.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 52°F (11°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 4.3" | 18.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 65°F (19°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 3.8" | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 5.3" | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| July | 79°F (26°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 4.6" | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| August | 78°F (25°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 5.0" | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| September | 71°F (21°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 3.8" | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| October | 57°F (14°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 5.3" | 8.5 | 0.0 |
| November | 45°F (7°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 4.2" | 23.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 4.3" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 3.7"
February 3.1"
March 3.5"
April 4.3"
May 3.8"
June 5.3"
July 4.6"
August 5.0"
September 3.8"
October 5.3"
November 4.2"
December 4.3"
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 2
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 6
50% probability date
Growing Season
149 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,930
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
287
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Bethel's climate means for you
Bethel runs 44°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 149 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 6 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,930 heating and 287 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Bethel, ME
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Bethel, Maine as a location with an annual average temperature of 44°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 54°F to a mean daily low of 34°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00170583, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Bethel should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 50.9 inches, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 149 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 6 and the first fall freeze near October 2. And on the energy front, 7,930 heating degree days and 287 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Bethel scores 44/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Bethel, ME? ▼
The average annual temperature in Bethel, Maine is 44°F. The warmest month averages 79°F (26°C) and the coldest averages 8°F (-13°C).
How much rain does Bethel get? ▼
Bethel receives 50.9 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Bethel? ▼
Bethel has a climate comfort score of 44/100 (Moderate), milder than 8% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Bethel? ▼
Bethel has approximately 149 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 6 and the first fall freeze around October 2.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Bethel? ▼
Bethel has 7,930 heating degree days and 287 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Bethel climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00170583 near Bethel.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00170583. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.