Betterton Historic District · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0Betterton’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Betterton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Betterton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Betterton’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Betterton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Betterton’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chestertown, MD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Betterton
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 Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD.
Living with Betterton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Betterton from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Betterton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Betterton yet.
Climates most like Betterton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betterton, MD | 26° | 87° | 45" | 17" |
| University of Virginia, VA | 27° | 88° | 46" | 17" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
| St. Albans, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Du Quoin, IL | 24° | 88° | 46" | 12" |
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 Betterton averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Betterton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Betterton’s place among Maryland’s.
Betterton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Betterton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chestertown, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 26° | 3.0" | 5.2" | 10 | 4 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 27° | 2.7" | 7.9" | 8 | 6 | 24° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 35° | 4.1" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 56° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 31° | 3.8" | 1.7" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 65° | 47° | 44.9" | 16.7" | 108 | 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 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Betterton’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 Betterton’s center.
- Snow: Chestertown, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD, 9 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 Betterton’s climate
What is the weather like in Betterton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Betterton in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Betterton get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Chestertown, MD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Betterton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 69°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Betterton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 201 frost-free days, at Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD.
What growing zone is Betterton in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Betterton?
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 Betterton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Betterton.
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.