Photo: Scott218 · CC BY-SA 4.0The climate in Arbutus sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. Its July heat outdoes that of 72% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 67–80°.
A year in Arbutus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arbutus’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arbutus’ place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Arbutus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baltimore Wash International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arbutus’ center in zone 7b: 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Baltimore Wash International Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arbutus
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Baltimore Wash International Airport.
Living with Arbutus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arbutus from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arbutus and its neighbors
Ilchester has the coldest January nights next door (25°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Arbutus’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbutus, MD | 26° | 89° | 46" | 19" |
| Salem, VA | 27° | 88° | 44" | 18" |
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Republic, MO | 23° | 88° | 45" | 14" |
| Du Quoin, IL | 24° | 88° | 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 Arbutus averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
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 Arbutus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arbutus’ place among Maryland’s.
Arbutus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arbutus’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baltimore Wash International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 26° | 3.1" | 6.4" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 2.8" | 7.5" | 9 | 5 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 4.0" | 2.8" | 11 | 2 | 39° – 54° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 3.7" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 46.2" | 19.3" | 121 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Arbutus’ 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 Arbutus’ center.
- Snow: Baltimore Wash International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baltimore Wash International Airport, 5 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 Arbutus’ climate
What is the weather like in Arbutus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arbutus in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 93 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Arbutus get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Baltimore Wash International Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arbutus?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Baltimore Wash International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Arbutus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 204 frost-free days, at Baltimore Wash International Airport.
What growing zone is Arbutus in?
Zone 7b 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 Arbutus?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arbutus 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 Arbutus.
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.