Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0Accident gets about 105 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 79° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Accident at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Accident’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Accident’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Accident feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sines Deep Creek, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Accident’s center in zone 6a: 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°
About 105 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oakland 1 Se, MD, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 171 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Accident
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Sines Deep Creek, MD.
Living with Accident’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Accident from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Accident and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Accident yet.
Climates most like Accident’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident, MD | 19° | 79° | 49" | 105" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Busti, NY | 16° | 80° | 46" | 98" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
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 Accident averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Accident compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Accident’s place among Maryland’s.
Accident weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Accident’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oakland 1 Se, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 3.9" | 30.2" | 17 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 3.5" | 22.0" | 14 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 4.2" | 19.6" | 15 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 4.1" | 3.7" | 15 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.4" | 1.6" | 13 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 3.2" | 6.4" | 12 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 4.0" | 21.4" | 16 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 48.8" | 104.9" | 171 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Accident’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 Accident’s center.
- Snow: Oakland 1 Se, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sines Deep Creek, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower; 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 Accident’s climate
What is the weather like in Accident?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 105 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Accident in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Accident get?
About 105 inches in a normal winter at Oakland 1 Se, MD, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Accident?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Sines Deep Creek, MD.
When is the first and last frost in Accident?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 155 frost-free days, at Sines Deep Creek, MD.
What growing zone is Accident in?
Zone 6a 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 Accident?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Accident getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Accident.
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.