Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Rising Sun-Lebanon sits near the middle of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 26°. Temperatures cover 61° across the year, low to high. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 67% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 4; in half of years the first frost comes by November 4.
A year in Rising Sun-Lebanon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rising Sun-Lebanon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rising Sun-Lebanon’s place in Delaware beside it.
What a year in Rising Sun-Lebanon 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, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rising Sun-Lebanon’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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; August 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 Rising Sun-Lebanon
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 Rising Sun-Lebanon’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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rising Sun-Lebanon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rising Sun-Lebanon and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rising Sun-Lebanon in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rising Sun-Lebanon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Sun-Lebanon, DE | 26° | 87° | 45" | 13" |
| Lynchburg, VA | 26° | 87° | 45" | 12" |
| St. Albans, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Johnson City, TN | 27° | 87° | 46" | 9.2" |
| Woodfin, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rising Sun-Lebanon averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Rising Sun-Lebanon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rising Sun-Lebanon’s place among Delaware’s.
Rising Sun-Lebanon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rising Sun-Lebanon’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° | 26° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 10 | 3 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 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 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 3.9" | 2.6" | 10 | 2 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 45.2" | 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 31° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rising Sun-Lebanon’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 Rising Sun-Lebanon’s center.
- Snow: Dover, DE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dover, DE, 3 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 Rising Sun-Lebanon’s climate
What is the weather like in Rising Sun-Lebanon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rising Sun-Lebanon in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Rising Sun-Lebanon 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 Rising Sun-Lebanon?
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 Rising Sun-Lebanon?
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 Rising Sun-Lebanon in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rising Sun-Lebanon?
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 Rising Sun-Lebanon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rising Sun-Lebanon.
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.