Ocean City sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 88 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 66° on average. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. Garden planting can start around March 30; autumn frost returns near November 14.
A year in Ocean City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ocean City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ocean City’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Ocean City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 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 Hoquiam Bowerman Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ocean City’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 88 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 192 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Aberdeen, WA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ocean City
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hoquiam Bowerman Airport.
Living with Ocean City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 9a. 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: June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ocean City from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (68%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ocean City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ocean City yet.
Climates most like Ocean City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City, WA | 37° | 66° | 88" | 0.5" |
| Newport, OR | 40° | 66° | 74" | 0.1" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Kodiak, AK | 26° | 62° | 78" | 70" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
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 Ocean City averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Ocean City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ocean City’s place among Washington’s.
Ocean City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ocean City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aberdeen, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 37° | 13.5" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| February | 51° | 37° | 8.3" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| March | 53° | 38° | 10.3" | 0.2" | 22 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| April | 56° | 40° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 60° | 45° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| June | 63° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 59° |
| July | 66° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| August | 67° | 52° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 62° |
| September | 66° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 9.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 39° | 13.4" | 0.2" | 22 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 36° | 13.2" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| Year | 58° | 43° | 88.3" | 0.5" | 192 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Ocean City’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 Ocean City’s center.
- Snow: Aberdeen, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hoquiam Bowerman Airport, 13 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 Ocean City’s climate
What is the weather like in Ocean City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 33 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ocean City in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Ocean City get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Aberdeen, WA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ocean City?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Hoquiam Bowerman Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Ocean City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 228 frost-free days, at Hoquiam Bowerman Airport.
What growing zone is Ocean City in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ocean City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ocean City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ocean City.
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.