Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0Mountain Lake Park gets about 105 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 79°. Seasons differ by 60°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 9.
A year in Mountain Lake Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mountain Lake Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mountain Lake Park’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Mountain Lake Park feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oakland 1 Se, MD, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mountain Lake Park’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 105 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oakland 1 Se, MD, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 171 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mountain Lake Park
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Oakland 1 Se, MD.
Living with Mountain Lake Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mountain Lake Park from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mountain Lake Park and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mountain Lake Park yet.
Climates most like Mountain Lake Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lake Park, MD | 19° | 79° | 52" | 105" |
| Edinboro, PA | 18° | 81° | 47" | 114" |
| Busti, NY | 16° | 80° | 46" | 98" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
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 Mountain Lake Park averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Mountain Lake Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mountain Lake Park’s place among Maryland’s.
Mountain Lake Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mountain Lake Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oakland 1 Se, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 4.0" | 30.2" | 17 | 20° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 3.7" | 22.0" | 14 | 18° – 39° |
| March | 48° | 26° | 4.5" | 19.6" | 15 | 31° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 35° | 4.5" | 3.7" | 15 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 3.7" | 1.6" | 13 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 29° | 3.3" | 6.4" | 12 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 4.1" | 21.4" | 16 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 51.6" | 104.9" | 171 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mountain Lake Park’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 Mountain Lake Park’s center.
- Snow: Oakland 1 Se, MD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oakland 1 Se, MD, 1.4 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 Mountain Lake Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Mountain Lake Park?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 105 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mountain Lake Park in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Mountain Lake Park get?
About 105 inches in a normal winter at Oakland 1 Se, MD, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Mountain Lake Park?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Oakland 1 Se, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Mountain Lake Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 156 frost-free days, at Oakland 1 Se, MD.
What growing zone is Mountain Lake Park in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mountain Lake Park?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mountain Lake Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mountain Lake Park.
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.