In Dames Quarter, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 29°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 71% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 10 to October 30.
A year in Dames Quarter at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dames Quarter’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dames Quarter’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Dames Quarter 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 Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport, 24 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dames Quarter’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dames Quarter
76% 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 Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport.
Living with Dames Quarter’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dames Quarter from natural hazards, coastal flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dames Quarter and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dames Quarter yet.
Climates most like Dames Quarter’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dames Quarter, MD | 29° | 88° | 45" | 8.0" |
| Oak Ridge, NC | 29° | 88° | 45" | 7.1" |
| Danville, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 7.6" |
| Kingsport, TN | 28° | 87° | 45" | 5.1" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
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 Dames Quarter averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
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 Dames Quarter compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dames Quarter’s place among Maryland’s.
Dames Quarter weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dames Quarter’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 29° | 3.4" | 2.5" | 11 | 2 | 31° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 30° | 2.9" | 3.4" | 10 | 1 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 55° | 37° | 4.0" | 1.0" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 55° |
| April | 66° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 70° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 58° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 33° | 3.6" | 0.9" | 11 | 1 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 67° | 49° | 45.1" | 8.0" | 122 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dames Quarter’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 Dames Quarter’s center.
- Snow: Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport, 24 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 Dames Quarter’s climate
What is the weather like in Dames Quarter?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dames Quarter in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 94 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Dames Quarter get?
About 8.0 inches in a normal winter at Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dames Quarter?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 70°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Dames Quarter?
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 Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Dames Quarter in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dames Quarter?
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 Dames Quarter 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 Dames Quarter.
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.