Summers, winters and rain in Mount Briar all run close to those of most U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 23°. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Garden chairs stay out from April to June and September to October, the months with highs of 65–82°.
A year in Mount Briar at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mount Briar’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mount Briar’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Mount Briar feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mount Briar’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 42 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Briar
86% 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 Sharpsburg 5 S, MD.
Living with Mount Briar’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Briar from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mount Briar and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mount Briar yet.
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 Briar averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Briar compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mount Briar’s place among Maryland’s.
Mount Briar weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Briar’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 2.9" | 23° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.5" | 25° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 3.7" | 37° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 3.5" | 49° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.4" | 58° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 3.8" | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.0" | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.3" | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 4.4" | 64° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.3" | 52° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 3.0" | 38° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 3.5" | 27° – 45° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 42.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mount Briar’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 Briar’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Mount Briar’s climate
What is the weather like in Mount Briar?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mount Briar in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Mount Briar?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Sharpsburg 5 S, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Mount Briar?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 175 frost-free days, at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD.
What growing zone is Mount Briar 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 Briar?
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 Briar getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Briar.
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.