Photo: SlipperyDude · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers, winters and rain in Drum Point all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Nights in January average 28°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 70% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Drum Point at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Drum Point’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Drum Point’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Drum Point feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 248 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Solomons, MD, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Drum Point’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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Patuxent River Nas, MD, 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 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Drum Point
70% 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 Solomons, MD.
Living with Drum Point’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
248 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 22 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Drum Point from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Drum Point and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Drum Point in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Drum Point’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drum Point, MD | 28° | 88° | 45" | 13" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Johnson City, TN | 27° | 87° | 46" | 9.2" |
| St. Albans, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 29° | 88° | 45" | 7.1" |
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 Drum Point averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Drum Point compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Drum Point’s place among Maryland’s.
Drum Point weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Drum Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Patuxent River Nas, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 28° | 3.0" | 3.9" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 29° | 2.7" | 6.0" | 9 | 3 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 3.9" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| April | 66° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 70° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 69° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 32° | 3.6" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 67° | 48° | 44.7" | 12.5" | 118 | 7 |
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 Drum Point’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 Drum Point’s center.
- Snow: Patuxent River Nas, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Solomons, MD, 1.1 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 Drum Point’s climate
What is the weather like in Drum Point?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Drum Point in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Drum Point get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Patuxent River Nas, MD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Drum Point?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 70°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Solomons, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Drum Point?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 26, about 248 frost-free days, at Solomons, MD.
What growing zone is Drum Point 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 Drum Point?
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 Drum Point getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Drum Point.
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.