Photo: Bluesnote · CC BY-SA 4.0In Port Deposit, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 71% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Long walks are most pleasant from April to June and September to October, when afternoons reach 65–83°.
A year in Port Deposit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Port Deposit’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Port Deposit’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Port Deposit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Conowingo Dam, MD, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Port Deposit’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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Octoraro Lake, PA, 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 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Port Deposit
79% of the work is heating. 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 Conowingo Dam, MD.
Living with Port Deposit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 6.
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 Port Deposit from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Port Deposit and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Port Deposit yet.
Climates most like Port Deposit’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Deposit, MD | 24° | 87° | 47" | 18" |
| Cynthiana, KY | 24° | 87° | 48" | 16" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
| University of Virginia, VA | 27° | 88° | 46" | 17" |
| Scottsburg, IN | 23° | 87° | 48" | 12" |
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 Port Deposit averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Port Deposit compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Port Deposit’s place among Maryland’s.
Port Deposit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Port Deposit’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Octoraro Lake, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.3" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 24° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.7" | 7.1" | 10 | 5 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 33° | 4.2" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.0" | 3.0" | 11 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 47.1" | 18.1" | 124 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Port Deposit’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 Port Deposit’s center.
- Snow: Octoraro Lake, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Conowingo Dam, MD, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Port Deposit’s climate
What is the weather like in Port Deposit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Port Deposit in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Port Deposit get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Octoraro Lake, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Port Deposit?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Conowingo Dam, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Port Deposit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 217 frost-free days, at Conowingo Dam, MD.
What growing zone is Port Deposit 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 Port Deposit?
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 Port Deposit getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Port Deposit.
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.