Bel Air, MD climate
Bel Air has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Bel Air feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bel Air weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.2" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 24° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 2.7" | 7.1" | 10 | 5 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 4.2" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 3.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 58° | 4.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 46° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 3.9" | 3.0" | 11 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 46.6" | 18.1" | 124 | 14 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Bel Air
Bel Air gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 14 days of the year.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first one by November 6. That leaves about 217 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 81% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Bel Air
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bel Air, 79% of that work is heating and 21% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Bel Air and its neighbors
Bel Air borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Bel Air North has the coldest January nights (24°) and Bel Air South the hottest July afternoons (88°). Bel Air’s January low is 24° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Bel Air compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bel Air averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°). The shift is larger than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bel Air’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Bel Air’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bel Air?
January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 24°.
What is the hottest month in Bel Air?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bel Air get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Bel Air?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 6, and the last spring frost by April 3.
What is the rainiest month in Bel Air?
July, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bel Air itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Octoraro Lake, PA (24 mi, snow) and Conowingo Dam, MD (12 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.