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Aerial view of routes 29 and 216 interchange, September 2018Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Scaggsville · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Scaggsville’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns#153Mildest winters  of 216 in MD
Less snow than 58% of U.S. towns#55Least snow  of 214 in MD
All MD rankings →

A year in Scaggsville at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan42°25° 6" snow
Feb46°26° 5" snow
Mar54°33°
Apr66°43° Last frost ~Apr 10
May75°52° 1 day 90°+
Jun83°61° 6 days 90°+
Jul87°67° 12 days 90°+Wettest
Aug85°65° 8 days 90°+
Sep78°58° 3 days 90°+
Oct67°46°
Nov now56°36° First frost ~Nov 1
Dec46°29°

What stands out about Scaggsville’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Scaggsville’s place in Maryland beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Scaggsville feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
45° / 27°
5 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
65° / 43°
Last frost around Apr 10
Summer
85° / 64°
36 days reach 90°
Fall
67° / 47°
First frost around Nov 1
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 202 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurel 3 W, MD, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Beltsville, MD, 8 miles away.

86
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
84th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer freezing nights than 67% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
183rd fewest of 216 in Maryland
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 63% of U.S. towns
36
days that reach 90°
60th most of 216 in Maryland
More 90° days than 67% of U.S. towns
1
days that reach 100°
18th most of 216 in Maryland
More 100° days than 76% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Scaggsville’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

25
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

12
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 16 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Beltsville, MD, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
55th wettest of 216 in Maryland
Wetter than 65% of U.S. towns
16"
Snow in a normal winter
55th least snowy of 214 in Maryland
Less snow than 58% of U.S. towns
14 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
132nd fewest of 204 in Maryland
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 57% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.5"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

6"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Scaggsville

78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.

4,568 heating degree daysLess heating than 65% of U.S. towns
1,269 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 67% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Beltsville, MD.

Living here

Living with Scaggsville’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

202 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 11 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Scaggsville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Scaggsville and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Scaggsville in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Ellicott City: January low 24°, July high 87°Ilchester: January low 25°, July high 88°Savage: January low 25°, July high 88°Jessup: January low 25°, July high 88°Laurel: January low 25°, July high 88°Maryland City: January low 25°, July high 88°Fairland: January low 26°, July high 87°Ashton-Sandy Spring: January low 25°, July high 87°Cloverly: January low 25°, July high 86°Spencerville: January low 25°, July high 86°Konterra: January low 25°, July high 88°Columbia: January low 25°, July high 87°North Laurel: January low 25°, July high 87°Burtonsville: January low 25°, July high 87°West Laurel: January low 25°, July high 87°Fulton: January low 25°, July high 87°Scaggsville: January low 25°, July high 87°ScaggsvilleColumbiaNorth LaurelBurtonsvilleWest LaurelFulton
ColderMilder24° to 26°
Columbia24.7° about the same
Scaggsville24.9°
North Laurel24.9° about the same
Fulton24.9° about the same
Burtonsville25.1° about the same
West Laurel25.1° about the same

Climates most like Scaggsville’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Scaggsville, MD25°87°46"16"
Milford, OH23°87°45"16"
Cave Spring, VA27°87°45"18"
Cynthiana, KY24°87°48"16"
Cross Lanes, WV25°87°45"11"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Scaggsville averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 79% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.3°now 36°, was 33°
Spring+1.6°now 54°, was 52°
Summer+1.7°now 75°, was 73°
Fall+1.5°now 57°, was 55°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Scaggsville compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Scaggsville’s place among Maryland’s.

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns157th hottest of 216 in Maryland
Winter cold25° January low
Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns153rd mildest of 216 in Maryland
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 65% of U.S. towns55th wettest of 216 in Maryland
Snow16" a winter
Less snow than 58% of U.S. towns55th least snowy of 214 in Maryland
Hot days36 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 67% of U.S. towns60th most of 216 in Maryland
Freezing nights86 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 67% of U.S. towns84th fewest of 216 in Maryland
Growing season202 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 68% of U.S. towns130th longest of 216 in Maryland
Month by month

Scaggsville weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Scaggsville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beltsville, MD. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January42°25°3.1"5.7"10525° – 41°
February46°26°2.7"5.0"9625° – 44°
March54°33°3.9"2.5"10238° – 53°
April66°43°3.6"0.1"11051° – 60°
May75°52°4.3"0.0"11059° – 70°
June83°61°4.3"0.0"10068° – 77°
July87°67°4.5"0.0"10072° – 80°
August85°65°4.2"0.0"9070° – 78°
September78°58°4.4"0.0"9065° – 72°
October67°46°4.1"0.0"9053° – 63°
November56°36°3.3"0.2"8040° – 51°
December46°29°3.8"2.3"10229° – 48°
Year65°45°46.0"15.8"11614
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Scaggsville’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 Scaggsville’s center.
  • Snow: Beltsville, MD.
  • Frost dates, heating and cooling: Beltsville, MD, 8 miles away.
  • Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Laurel 3 W, MD, 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 Scaggsville’s climate

What is the weather like in Scaggsville?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Scaggsville in winter?

January nights average 25°. About 86 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.

How much snow does Scaggsville get?

About 16 inches in a normal winter at Beltsville, MD, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.

How hot does it get in Scaggsville?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Beltsville, MD).

When is the first and last frost in Scaggsville?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 202 frost-free days, at Beltsville, MD.

What growing zone is Scaggsville in?

Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.

What is the best time of year to visit Scaggsville?

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 Scaggsville getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Scaggsville.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.