For weather, Secretary is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
In January the night’s low is typically 28°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about April 8; in half of years the first frost comes by November 4.
A year in Secretary at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Secretary’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Secretary’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Secretary feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vienna, MD, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Secretary’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Royal Oak 2 Ssw, MD, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Secretary
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Vienna, MD.
Living with Secretary’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 4.
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 Secretary from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Secretary and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Secretary yet.
Climates most like Secretary’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary, MD | 28° | 88° | 45" | 14" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
| Evansville, IN | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
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 Secretary averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Secretary compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Secretary’s place among Maryland’s.
Secretary weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Secretary’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Royal Oak 2 Ssw, MD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 28° | 3.4" | 5.1" | 10 | 4 | 30° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 29° | 2.9" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 55° | 36° | 4.1" | 2.3" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 61° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 32° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 11 | 1 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 48° | 45.3" | 14.1" | 118 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Secretary’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 Secretary’s center.
- Snow: Royal Oak 2 Ssw, MD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vienna, MD, 11 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 Secretary’s climate
What is the weather like in Secretary?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Secretary in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Secretary get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Royal Oak 2 Ssw, MD, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Secretary?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 69°. About 43 days a year reach 90° (Vienna, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Secretary?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 209 frost-free days, at Vienna, MD.
What growing zone is Secretary in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Secretary?
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 Secretary getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Secretary.
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.