Photo: Patrick Nouhailler's… · CC BY-SA 3.0Weather without surprises: South Bethany keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
Nights in January average 30°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 56° apart. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 72% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 7; in half of years the first frost comes by November 2.
A year in South Bethany at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Bethany’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Bethany’s place in Delaware beside it.
What a year in South Bethany feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ocean City Muni Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Bethany’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 South Bethany
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 Ocean City Muni Airport.
Living with South Bethany’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Bethany from natural hazards, coastal flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Bethany and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Bethany yet.
Climates most like South Bethany’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bethany, DE | 30° | 86° | 46" | 11" |
| Jonesborough, TN | 28° | 86° | 47" | 9.2" |
| Woodfin, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Bedford, VA | 27° | 87° | 46" | 12" |
| 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 South Bethany averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 South Bethany compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Bethany’s place among Delaware’s.
South Bethany weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Bethany’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° | 30° | 3.5" | 2.0" | 11 | 31° – 44° |
| February | 47° | 30° | 3.1" | 6.5" | 10 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 53° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.0" | 11 | 40° – 53° |
| April | 63° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 72° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 86° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 78° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 34° | 3.9" | 1.0" | 12 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 65° | 49° | 46.0" | 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 South Bethany’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 South Bethany’s center.
- Snow: Lewes, DE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ocean City Muni Airport, 15 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 South Bethany’s climate
What is the weather like in South Bethany?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Bethany in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 81 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does South Bethany get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Lewes, DE, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in South Bethany?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 69°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Ocean City Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in South Bethany?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 209 frost-free days, at Ocean City Muni Airport.
What growing zone is South Bethany in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Bethany?
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 South Bethany getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Bethany.
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.