Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Crofton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Crofton Parkway springPhoto: MsCrof at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
Climate in Crofton · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

The climate in Crofton sits close to the middle of U.S. towns

On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in February. Its July heat outdoes that of 69% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, April, May, September and October offer highs of 67–80°.

Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns#82Mildest winters  of 216 in MD
Less snow than 53% of U.S. towns#118Least snow  of 214 in MD
All MD rankings →

A year in Crofton at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan44°26° 6" snow
Feb47°28° 8" snow
Mar55°34°
Apr67°44° Last frost ~Apr 10
May76°54° 2 days 90°+
Jun84°63° 7 days 90°+
Jul88°68° 13 days 90°+Wettest
Aug86°66° 8 days 90°+
Sep80°59° 3 days 90°+
Oct69°47° First frost ~Oct 31
Nov now57°37°
Dec48°30°

What stands out about Crofton’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crofton’s place in Maryland beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Crofton feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
46° / 28°
5 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
66° / 44°
Last frost around Apr 10
Summer
86° / 66°
39 days reach 90°
Fall
68° / 48°
First frost around Oct 31
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

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. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenn Dale Bell Stn, MD, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Baltimore Wash International Airport, 11 miles away.

112
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
199th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer freezing nights than 51% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
93rd fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 66% of U.S. towns
39
days that reach 90°
31st most of 216 in Maryland
More 90° days than 69% of U.S. towns
1
days that reach 100°
27th most of 216 in Maryland
More 100° days than 75% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Crofton’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°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

13
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

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.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
91st wettest of 216 in Maryland
Wetter than 62% of U.S. towns
19"
Snow in a normal winter
118th least snowy of 214 in Maryland
Less snow than 53% of U.S. towns
13 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
62nd fewest of 204 in Maryland
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.5"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Crofton

77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

4,484 heating degree daysLess heating than 66% of U.S. towns
1,322 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 69% of U.S. towns

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 here

Living with Crofton’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 6.3 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crofton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Crofton and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Crofton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Severn: January low 26°, July high 89°Gambrills: January low 28°, July high 88°Fort Meade: January low 26°, July high 88°Odenton: January low 26°, July high 88°Crofton: January low 26°, July high 88°CroftonOdenton
ColderMilder26° to 28°
Crofton26.1°
Odenton26.4° about the same

Climates most like Crofton’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Crofton, MD26°88°46"19"
Salem, VA27°88°44"18"
Rolla, MO23°88°44"17"
Henderson, KY25°88°48"12"
Du Quoin, IL24°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Crofton averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.2°now 37°, was 35°
Spring+1.5°now 55°, was 53°
Summer+1.8°now 76°, was 74°
Fall+1.4°now 58°, was 57°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Crofton compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crofton’s place among Maryland’s.

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns38th hottest of 216 in Maryland
Winter cold26° January low
Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns82nd mildest of 216 in Maryland
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 62% of U.S. towns91st wettest of 216 in Maryland
Snow19" a winter
Less snow than 53% of U.S. towns118th least snowy of 214 in Maryland
Hot days39 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 69% of U.S. towns31st most of 216 in Maryland
Freezing nights112 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 51% of U.S. towns199th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Growing season204 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 70% of U.S. towns91st longest of 216 in Maryland
Month by month

Crofton weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crofton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baltimore Wash International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January44°26°3.0"6.4"10427° – 42°
February47°28°2.7"7.5"9527° – 45°
March55°34°4.0"2.8"11239° – 54°
April67°44°3.4"0.0"11052° – 61°
May76°54°4.0"0.0"12060° – 71°
June84°63°4.3"0.0"11069° – 78°
July88°68°4.5"0.0"10073° – 82°
August86°66°4.3"0.0"10072° – 79°
September80°59°4.5"0.0"9066° – 73°
October69°47°4.0"0.0"9054° – 64°
November57°37°3.2"0.1"9041° – 52°
December48°30°3.7"2.5"10230° – 50°
Year67°46°45.5"19.3"12113
Year to year

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 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Crofton’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 Crofton’s center.
  • Snow: Baltimore Wash International Airport.
  • Frost dates, heating and cooling: Baltimore Wash International Airport, 11 miles away.
  • Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Glenn Dale Bell Stn, MD, 7 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 Crofton’s climate

What is the weather like in Crofton?

A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, 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 69% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Crofton in winter?

January nights average 26°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.

How much snow does Crofton 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 Crofton?

July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Baltimore Wash International Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Crofton?

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 Crofton 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 Crofton?

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 Crofton getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crofton.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.