Photo: Aberdeen Proving Ground · CC BY 2.0Weather without surprises: North East keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. Winter and summer sit 61° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 68% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in North East at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North East’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North East’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in North East feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Octoraro Lake, PA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts North East’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wilmington New Castle Co Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North East
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 Octoraro Lake, PA.
Living with North East’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North East from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North East and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North East yet.
Climates most like North East’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East, MD | 26° | 87° | 47" | 20" |
| Cave Spring, VA | 27° | 87° | 45" | 18" |
| Cynthiana, KY | 24° | 87° | 48" | 16" |
| Forestville, OH | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 North East averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 North East compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North East’s place among Maryland’s.
North East weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North East’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wilmington New Castle Co Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 26° | 3.2" | 6.1" | 11 | 5 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 2.7" | 7.8" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 34° | 4.2" | 3.1" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 52° |
| April | 64° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 68° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 38° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 30° | 4.0" | 2.9" | 11 | 2 | 31° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 46° | 46.7" | 20.2" | 122 | 17 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where North East’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 North East’s center.
- Snow: Wilmington New Castle Co Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Octoraro Lake, PA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher; 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 North East’s climate
What is the weather like in North East?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North East in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 125 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 25°.
How much snow does North East get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Wilmington New Castle Co Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in North East?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 68°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Octoraro Lake, PA).
When is the first and last frost in North East?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 179 frost-free days, at Octoraro Lake, PA.
What growing zone is North East in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit North East?
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 North East getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North East.
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.