Photo: Nyttend · Public domainA middle-of-the-road climate: La Vale is close to most U.S. towns on every count
January nights here settle around 22°. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 15; in half of years the first frost comes by October 24.
A year in La Vale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Vale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Vale’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in La Vale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cumberland 2, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Vale’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 Cumberland 2, MD, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Vale
83% of the work is heating. 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 Cumberland 2, MD.
Living with La Vale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
190 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 5.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Vale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Vale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Vale yet.
Climates most like La Vale’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 Vale, MD | 22° | 86° | 41" | 29" |
| Obetz, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 28" |
| Chatham, IL | 20° | 86° | 39" | 22" |
| Fort Wright, KY | 24° | 87° | 45" | 23" |
| Wyomissing, PA | 22° | 86° | 46" | 27" |
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 Vale averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Vale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Vale’s place among Maryland’s.
La Vale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Vale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cumberland 2, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 2.7" | 8.2" | 13 | 11 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 2.4" | 7.7" | 11 | 10 | 23° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 3.4" | 6.8" | 12 | 5 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 85° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 2.7" | 0.5" | 9 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.1" | 5.4" | 11 | 7 | 25° – 44° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 40.5" | 28.7" | 136 | 33 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Vale’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 Vale’s center.
- Snow: Cumberland 2, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cumberland 2, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower; 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 Vale’s climate
What is the weather like in La Vale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Vale in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does La Vale get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Cumberland 2, MD, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 33 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Vale?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Cumberland 2, MD).
When is the first and last frost in La Vale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 190 frost-free days, at Cumberland 2, MD.
What growing zone is La Vale in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Vale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Vale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Vale.
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.