Afternoon heat in Fort Ritchie trails that of 79% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 21°. Winter and summer sit 62° apart. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 75% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Fort Ritchie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Ritchie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Ritchie’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Fort Ritchie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Ritchie’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at S Mtn, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Ritchie
85% 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 Catoctin Mtn Park, MD.
Living with Fort Ritchie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Ritchie from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Ritchie and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fort Ritchie in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Ritchie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Ritchie, MD | 21° | 82° | 48" | 33" |
| Richmond, RI | 21° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
| Westport, MA | 23° | 82° | 48" | 33" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| Monroe, NY | 18° | 83° | 48" | 36" |
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 Fort Ritchie averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Fort Ritchie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Ritchie’s place among Maryland’s.
Fort Ritchie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Ritchie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from S Mtn, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 3.5" | 10.6" | 10 | 14 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 2.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 14 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 4.0" | 6.5" | 11 | 8 | 33° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 70° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.9" | 5.2" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 47.8" | 33.0" | 127 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fort Ritchie’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 Fort Ritchie’s center.
- Snow: S Mtn, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Fort Ritchie’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Ritchie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Ritchie in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Fort Ritchie get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at S Mtn, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fort Ritchie?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Catoctin Mtn Park, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Ritchie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 197 frost-free days, at Catoctin Mtn Park, MD.
What growing zone is Fort Ritchie in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Ritchie?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Ritchie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Ritchie.
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.