Photo: Hawkeye58 · CC BY-SA 3.0In Clinton, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. Only 61° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 67% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 3 to November 8.
A year in Clinton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clinton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clinton’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Clinton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oxon Hill, MD, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clinton’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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Franconia 1.3 Sse, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 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 Clinton
75% 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 Oxon Hill, MD.
Living with Clinton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clinton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clinton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Clinton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clinton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, MD | 27° | 88° | 45" | 13" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| St. Albans, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| 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 Clinton averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Clinton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clinton’s place among Maryland’s.
Clinton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clinton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Franconia 1.3 Sse, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.0" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 2.7" | 3.5" | 9 | 5 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 3.9" | 2.8" | 9 | 2 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 3.7" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 45.2" | 13.4" | 116 | 12 |
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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Clinton’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 Clinton’s center.
- Snow: Franconia 1.3 Sse, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oxon Hill, MD, 6 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 Clinton’s climate
What is the weather like in Clinton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clinton in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Clinton get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Franconia 1.3 Sse, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clinton?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° (Oxon Hill, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Clinton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 217 frost-free days, at Oxon Hill, MD.
What growing zone is Clinton 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 Clinton?
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 Clinton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clinton.
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.