Montrose · Photo: Pubdog · Public domainNo extremes in Highland: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. Only 62° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 10, with the first autumn frost due around November 1.
A year in Highland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highland’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Highland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurel 3 W, MD, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Beltsville, MD, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highland’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Columbia 2.3 N, MD, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Highland
78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Beltsville, MD.
Living with Highland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Highland yet.
Climates most like Highland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland, MD | 25° | 87° | 46" | 29" |
| Kearny, NJ | 25° | 87° | 47" | 28" |
| Charleston, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 32" |
| Floral Park, NY | 25° | 86° | 46" | 26" |
| Alexandria, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 Highland averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Highland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highland’s place among Maryland’s.
Highland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbia 2.3 N, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.2" | 9.0" | 11 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 2.7" | 10.0" | 11 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 3.9" | 5.2" | 12 | 38° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 3.8" | 4.1" | 12 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 46.3" | 28.5" | 140 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Highland’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 Highland’s center.
- Snow: Columbia 2.3 N, MD.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Beltsville, MD, 11 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Laurel 3 W, MD, 8 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 Highland’s climate
What is the weather like in Highland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highland in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 86 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Highland get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Columbia 2.3 N, MD, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Highland?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Beltsville, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Highland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 202 frost-free days, at Beltsville, MD.
What growing zone is Highland in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highland?
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 Highland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highland.
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.