Hoffecker-Lockwood House · Photo: Cortlandt Van Dyke Hubbard, Photographer · Public domainThe climate in Cheswold sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Cheswold at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cheswold’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cheswold’s place in Delaware beside it.
What a year in Cheswold feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 214 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dover, DE, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cheswold’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dover, DE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cheswold
76% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dover, DE.
Living with Cheswold’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
214 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cheswold from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cheswold and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cheswold yet.
Climates most like Cheswold’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheswold, DE | 25° | 87° | 45" | 13" |
| Buena Vista, VA | 26° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| St. Albans, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
| Mount Vernon, IL | 23° | 87° | 46" | 10" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cheswold averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Cheswold compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cheswold’s place among Delaware’s.
Cheswold weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cheswold’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dover, DE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.1" | 4.1" | 10 | 3 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 46° | 27° | 2.8" | 5.9" | 9 | 4 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 3.8" | 2.6" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 44.7" | 13.2" | 110 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cheswold’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 Cheswold’s center.
- Snow: Dover, DE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dover, DE, 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 Cheswold’s climate
What is the weather like in Cheswold?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cheswold in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Cheswold get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Dover, DE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cheswold?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Dover, DE).
When is the first and last frost in Cheswold?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 214 frost-free days, at Dover, DE.
What growing zone is Cheswold in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cheswold?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cheswold getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cheswold.
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.