Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Mount Aetna sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 23°. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Mount Aetna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mount Aetna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mount Aetna’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Mount Aetna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Smithsburg 2nw, MD, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mount Aetna’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Emmitsburg 2 Se, MD, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Aetna
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Smithsburg 2nw, MD.
Living with Mount Aetna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Aetna from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mount Aetna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mount Aetna yet.
Climates most like Mount Aetna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Aetna, MD | 23° | 86° | 43" | 28" |
| Newport, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Groveport, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 28" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 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 Mount Aetna averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Mount Aetna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mount Aetna’s place among Maryland’s.
Mount Aetna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Aetna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Emmitsburg 2 Se, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 3.0" | 8.7" | 9 | 6 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 25° | 2.5" | 8.8" | 8 | 8 | 23° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 3.6" | 4.4" | 10 | 3 | 37° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 3.6" | 4.5" | 9 | 3 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 42.8" | 27.5" | 117 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mount Aetna’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 Mount Aetna’s center.
- Snow: Emmitsburg 2 Se, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Smithsburg 2nw, MD, 5 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 Mount Aetna’s climate
What is the weather like in Mount Aetna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mount Aetna in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Mount Aetna get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Emmitsburg 2 Se, MD, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mount Aetna?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Smithsburg 2nw, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Mount Aetna?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 176 frost-free days, at Smithsburg 2nw, MD.
What growing zone is Mount Aetna in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mount Aetna?
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 Mount Aetna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Aetna.
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.