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2016-07-12 08 31 38 View west along Maryland State Route 26 (Liberty Road) at Liberty Terrace in Lochearn, Baltimore County, MarylandPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Lochearn · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Lochearn’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns#173Mildest winters  of 216 in MD
More snow than 60% of U.S. towns#36Snowiest  of 214 in MD
All MD rankings →

A year in Lochearn at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan42°24° 9" snow
Feb45°26° 10" snow
Mar54°32° 5" snow
Apr66°43° Last frost ~Apr 2
May75°52° 1 day 90°+
Jun83°61° 4 days 90°+
Jul87°66° 7 days 90°+
Aug85°64° 5 days 90°+
Sep79°58° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Oct67°46°
Nov now56°36° First frost ~Nov 7
Dec46°29° 4" snow

What stands out about Lochearn’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lochearn’s place in Maryland beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Lochearn feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
44° / 26°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
65° / 42°
Last frost around Apr 2
Summer
85° / 64°
18 days reach 90°
Fall
67° / 46°
First frost around Nov 7
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 220 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cylburn, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.

92
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
91st fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
93rd fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 66% of U.S. towns
18
days that reach 90°
29th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
26th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Lochearn’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°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.4
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

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 48 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
5th wettest of 216 in Maryland
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns
29"
Snow in a normal winter
36th snowiest of 214 in Maryland
More snow than 60% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Lochearn

78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.

4,443 heating degree daysLess heating than 67% of U.S. towns
1,236 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 66% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cylburn, MD.

Living here

Living with Lochearn’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

220 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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 7.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lochearn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 35%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Lochearn and its neighbors

Baltimore the hottest July afternoons (89°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Ellicott City: January low 24°, July high 87°Catonsville: January low 25°, July high 88°Rosedale: January low 28°, July high 89°Dundalk: January low 28°, July high 89°Towson: January low 24°, July high 88°Brooklyn Park: January low 28°, July high 89°Arbutus: January low 26°, July high 89°Parkville: January low 24°, July high 88°Pasadena: January low 28°, July high 89°Baltimore Highlands: January low 28°, July high 89°Garrison: January low 24°, July high 87°Randallstown: January low 24°, July high 87°Woodlawn: January low 25°, July high 88°Baltimore: January low 28°, July high 89°Pikesville: January low 24°, July high 88°Milford Mill: January low 24°, July high 87°Lochearn: January low 24°, July high 87°LochearnWoodlawnBaltimorePikesvilleMilford Mill
ColderMilder24° to 28°
Pikesville23.9° about the same
Milford Mill24.0° about the same
Lochearn24.2°
Woodlawn24.7° about the same
Baltimore27.6° +3.4°

Climates most like Lochearn’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Lochearn, MD24°87°48"29"
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ24°87°48"28"
Charleston, WV25°87°46"32"
Tappan, NY23°86°48"33"
Fort Thomas, KY24°87°45"23"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Lochearn averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).

+2.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.3°now 35°, was 33°
Spring+1.9°now 54°, was 52°
Summer+2.0°now 75°, was 73°
Fall+1.7°now 57°, was 55°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Lochearn compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lochearn’s place among Maryland’s.

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns130th hottest of 216 in Maryland
Winter cold24° January low
Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns173rd mildest of 216 in Maryland
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns5th wettest of 216 in Maryland
Snow29" a winter
More snow than 60% of U.S. towns36th snowiest of 214 in Maryland
Hot days18 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns29th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Freezing nights92 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns91st fewest of 216 in Maryland
Growing season220 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 79% of U.S. towns32nd longest of 216 in Maryland
Month by month

Lochearn weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lochearn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbia 2.3 N, MD. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January42°24°3.2"9.0"1125° – 41°
February45°26°2.9"10.0"1125° – 43°
March54°32°4.0"5.2"1238° – 53°
April66°43°3.8"0.0"1351° – 60°
May75°52°4.3"0.0"1559° – 70°
June83°61°4.5"0.0"1269° – 77°
July87°66°4.6"0.0"1172° – 81°
August85°64°4.3"0.0"1271° – 78°
September79°58°4.7"0.0"1065° – 72°
October67°46°4.4"0.0"1153° – 63°
November56°36°3.7"0.2"940° – 51°
December46°29°3.8"4.1"1229° – 48°
Year65°45°48.1"28.5"140
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Lochearn’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 Lochearn’s center.
  • Snow: Columbia 2.3 N, MD.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cylburn, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Lochearn’s climate

What is the weather like in Lochearn?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Lochearn in winter?

January nights average 24°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.

How much snow does Lochearn 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 Lochearn?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Cylburn, MD).

When is the first and last frost in Lochearn?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 220 frost-free days, at Cylburn, MD.

What growing zone is Lochearn 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 Lochearn?

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 Lochearn getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lochearn.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.