Photo: Andrew Bossi · CC BY-SA 2.5Ashton-Sandy Spring’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ashton-Sandy Spring at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ashton-Sandy Spring’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ashton-Sandy Spring’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Ashton-Sandy Spring feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beltsville, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ashton-Sandy Spring’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Beltsville, MD, falls mostly in January. 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 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ashton-Sandy Spring
78% 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 Beltsville, MD.
Living with Ashton-Sandy Spring’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 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 Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 7.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ashton-Sandy Spring from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ashton-Sandy Spring and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ashton-Sandy Spring in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ashton-Sandy Spring’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton-Sandy Spring, MD | 25° | 87° | 46" | 16" |
| Cynthiana, KY | 24° | 87° | 48" | 16" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
| Forest, VA | 26° | 87° | 47" | 12" |
| Garden City, NY | 25° | 85° | 46" | 19" |
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 Ashton-Sandy Spring averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Ashton-Sandy Spring compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ashton-Sandy Spring’s place among Maryland’s.
Ashton-Sandy Spring weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ashton-Sandy Spring’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beltsville, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.1" | 5.7" | 10 | 5 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 27° | 2.7" | 5.0" | 9 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 3.9" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 38° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 3.8" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 46.3" | 15.8" | 116 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ashton-Sandy Spring’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 Ashton-Sandy Spring’s center.
- Snow: Beltsville, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beltsville, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Ashton-Sandy Spring’s climate
What is the weather like in Ashton-Sandy Spring?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ashton-Sandy Spring in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 95 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Ashton-Sandy Spring get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Beltsville, MD, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ashton-Sandy Spring?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Beltsville, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Ashton-Sandy Spring?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 202 frost-free days, at Beltsville, MD.
What growing zone is Ashton-Sandy Spring in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ashton-Sandy Spring?
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 Ashton-Sandy Spring getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ashton-Sandy Spring.
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.