Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0In La Plata, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 27°. Winter and summer sit 61° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from April to June and September to October, when afternoons reach 68–84°.
A year in La Plata at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Plata’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Plata’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in La Plata feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mechanicsville 5 Ne, MD, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Plata’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Quantico Mcas, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; September 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 La Plata
82% 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 Mechanicsville 5 Ne, MD.
Living with La Plata’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
195 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Plata from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Plata and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Plata yet.
Climates most like La Plata’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata, MD | 27° | 88° | 44" | 12" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Hurricane, WV | 25° | 87° | 44" | 11" |
| Chester, IL | 24° | 88° | 44" | 12" |
| Johnson City, TN | 27° | 87° | 46" | 9.2" |
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 La Plata averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 La Plata compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Plata’s place among Maryland’s.
La Plata weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Plata’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Quantico Mcas, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 3.0" | 3.5" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 2.7" | 5.8" | 9 | 4 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 31° | 3.6" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 44.4" | 12.4" | 118 | 8 |
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 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Plata’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 La Plata’s center.
- Snow: Quantico Mcas, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mechanicsville 5 Ne, MD, 14 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 La Plata’s climate
What is the weather like in La Plata?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Plata in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 98 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does La Plata get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Quantico Mcas, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Plata?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Mechanicsville 5 Ne, MD).
When is the first and last frost in La Plata?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 195 frost-free days, at Mechanicsville 5 Ne, MD.
What growing zone is La Plata in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Plata?
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 La Plata getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Plata.
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.