Summers, winters and rain in Smith Island all run close to those of most U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. A year here swings 59° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Smith Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smith Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smith Island’s place in Maryland beside it.
What a year in Smith Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 229 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD, 25 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smith Island’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 46 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Smith Island
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 St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD.
Living with Smith Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
229 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smith Island from natural hazards, coastal flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smith Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smith Island yet.
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 Smith Island averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Smith Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smith Island’s place among Maryland’s.
Smith Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smith Island’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 29° | 3.3" | 32° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 30° | 2.9" | 28° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 37° | 4.0" | 42° – 55° |
| April | 66° | 47° | 3.4" | 52° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 56° | 3.7" | 60° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 66° | 4.0" | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 71° | 4.7" | 75° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 69° | 4.6" | 74° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 63° | 4.1" | 68° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 52° | 4.1" | 57° – 67° |
| November | 59° | 41° | 3.1" | 44° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 33° | 3.6" | 33° – 52° |
| Year | 67° | 49° | 45.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Smith Island’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 Smith Island’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD, 25 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 Smith Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Smith Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smith Island in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How hot does it get in Smith Island?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 71°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD).
When is the first and last frost in Smith Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 229 frost-free days, at St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD.
What growing zone is Smith Island in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smith Island?
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 Smith Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smith Island.
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.