Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Highfield-Cascade’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Highfield-Cascade at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highfield-Cascade’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highfield-Cascade’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Highfield-Cascade 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, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highfield-Cascade’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 47 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 Highfield-Cascade
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 Highfield-Cascade’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. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highfield-Cascade 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 →Highfield-Cascade and its neighbors
Washington Township the hottest July afternoons (86°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Highfield-Cascade’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highfield-Cascade, MD | 21° | 83° | 47" | 33" |
| Richmond, RI | 21° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
| North Branford, CT | 19° | 83° | 48" | 34" |
| North Westport, MA | 22° | 83° | 49" | 31" |
| Ridge, NY | 23° | 83° | 46" | 32" |
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 Highfield-Cascade averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Highfield-Cascade compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highfield-Cascade’s place among Maryland’s.
Highfield-Cascade weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highfield-Cascade’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° | 23° | 2.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 14 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 4.0" | 6.5" | 11 | 8 | 34° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.8" | 5.2" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 47.4" | 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 7°.
Where Highfield-Cascade’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 Highfield-Cascade’s center.
- Snow: S Mtn, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Highfield-Cascade’s climate
What is the weather like in Highfield-Cascade?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, 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 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highfield-Cascade 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 Highfield-Cascade 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 Highfield-Cascade?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Catoctin Mtn Park, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Highfield-Cascade?
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 Highfield-Cascade in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highfield-Cascade?
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 Highfield-Cascade getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highfield-Cascade.
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.