St. George's Chapel · Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers, winters and rain in Long Neck all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.0° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 29 to November 14.
A year in Long Neck at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Long Neck’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Long Neck’s place in Delaware beside it.
What a year in Long Neck feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lewes, DE, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Long Neck’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lewes, 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 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Long Neck
72% 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 Lewes, DE.
Living with Long Neck’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Long Neck from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Long Neck and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Long Neck yet.
Climates most like Long Neck’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Neck, DE | 29° | 87° | 46" | 11" |
| Morristown, TN | 28° | 87° | 48" | 8.8" |
| Bedford, VA | 27° | 87° | 46" | 12" |
| King, NC | 28° | 87° | 47" | 6.2" |
| Huntington, WV | 25° | 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 Long Neck averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Long Neck compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Long Neck’s place among Delaware’s.
Long Neck weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Long Neck’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lewes, DE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 29° | 3.5" | 2.0" | 11 | 31° – 44° |
| February | 47° | 30° | 3.1" | 6.5" | 10 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.0" | 11 | 40° – 53° |
| April | 64° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 73° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 70° |
| June | 81° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 73° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 68° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 55° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 33° | 3.9" | 1.0" | 12 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 66° | 49° | 46.3" | 10.5" | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 53°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Long Neck’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 Long Neck’s center.
- Snow: Lewes, DE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lewes, DE, 11 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 Long Neck’s climate
What is the weather like in Long Neck?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Long Neck in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Long Neck get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Lewes, DE, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Long Neck?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 69°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Lewes, DE).
When is the first and last frost in Long Neck?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 231 frost-free days, at Lewes, DE.
What growing zone is Long Neck in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Long Neck?
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 Long Neck getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Long Neck.
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.