Photo: Rph92 · CC BY 4.0A middle-of-the-road climate: Essex is close to most U.S. towns on every count
January nights here settle around 27°. Temperatures cover 62° across the year, low to high. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 66–80°, runs through April, May, September and October.
A year in Essex at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Essex’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Essex’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Essex feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Essex’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 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 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Essex
69% 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 Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD.
Living with Essex’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 6.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Essex from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Essex and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Essex in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Essex’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex, MD | 27° | 89° | 47" | 19" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Aurora, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 12" |
| Evansville, IN | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
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 Essex averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Essex compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Essex’s place among Maryland’s.
Essex weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Essex’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baltimore Wash International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 27° | 3.2" | 6.4" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 2.8" | 7.5" | 9 | 5 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 35° | 4.1" | 2.8" | 11 | 2 | 39° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 70° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 57° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 32° | 3.9" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 66° | 48° | 46.8" | 19.3" | 121 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Essex’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 Essex’s center.
- Snow: Baltimore Wash International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD, 9 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 Essex’s climate
What is the weather like in Essex?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Essex in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Essex 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 Essex?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 70°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Essex?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 244 frost-free days, at Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD.
What growing zone is Essex in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Essex?
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 Essex getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Essex.
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.