Photo: Superman7515 · CC BY-SA 3.0In Ellendale, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.1° higher. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Ellendale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellendale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellendale’s place in Delaware beside it.
What a year in Ellendale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greenwood 2ne, DE, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellendale’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 Greenwood 2ne, DE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ellendale
80% 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 Greenwood 2ne, DE.
Living with Ellendale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellendale from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellendale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellendale yet.
Climates most like Ellendale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellendale, DE | 27° | 88° | 46" | 13" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Carterville, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
| Evansville, IN | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
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 Ellendale averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Ellendale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellendale’s place among Delaware’s.
Ellendale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellendale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Greenwood 2ne, DE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 3.5" | 3.3" | 9 | 3 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.0" | 5.9" | 8 | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 4.1" | 1.6" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 31° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 46.3" | 12.8" | 112 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ellendale’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 Ellendale’s center.
- Snow: Greenwood 2ne, DE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greenwood 2ne, DE, 8 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 Ellendale’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellendale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellendale in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 96 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Ellendale get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Greenwood 2ne, DE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ellendale?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Greenwood 2ne, DE).
When is the first and last frost in Ellendale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 200 frost-free days, at Greenwood 2ne, DE.
What growing zone is Ellendale 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 Ellendale?
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 Ellendale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellendale.
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.