Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Dawson sits near the middle of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Plan time outside for May, June, September and October, when highs sit at 67–83°.
A year in Dawson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dawson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dawson’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Dawson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Keyser 2 Ssw, WV, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dawson’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Keyser 2 Ssw, WV, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dawson
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Keyser 2 Ssw, WV.
Living with Dawson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dawson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dawson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dawson yet.
Climates most like Dawson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson, MD | 23° | 87° | 39" | 34" |
| Obetz, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 28" |
| Chatham, IL | 20° | 86° | 39" | 22" |
| Fort Wright, KY | 24° | 87° | 45" | 23" |
| Excelsior Springs, MO | 19° | 87° | 40" | 19" |
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 Dawson averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Dawson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dawson’s place among Maryland’s.
Dawson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dawson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Keyser 2 Ssw, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 2.6" | 9.6" | 14 | 12 | 23° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 24° | 2.4" | 10.3" | 13 | 11 | 23° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 3.3" | 5.5" | 14 | 5 | 36° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 76° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 83° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 79° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 2.4" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 26° | 2.9" | 6.6" | 13 | 7 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 65° | 41° | 38.9" | 33.5" | 151 | 36 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dawson’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 Dawson’s center.
- Snow: Keyser 2 Ssw, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Keyser 2 Ssw, WV, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher; 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 Dawson’s climate
What is the weather like in Dawson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dawson in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Dawson get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Keyser 2 Ssw, WV, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 36 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dawson?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 42 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Keyser 2 Ssw, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Dawson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 167 frost-free days, at Keyser 2 Ssw, WV.
What growing zone is Dawson in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dawson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dawson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dawson.
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.