Fort Ritchie, MD climate
Fort Ritchie has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fort Ritchie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fort Ritchie 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 | 37° | 21° | 3.5" | 10.6" | 10 | 14 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 2.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 14 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 4.0" | 6.5" | 11 | 8 | 33° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 70° | 50° | 4.6" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 58° | 4.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 4.4" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 5.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.9" | 5.2" | 10 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 47.8" | 33.0" | 127 | 44 |
“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 Fort Ritchie
Fort Ritchie gets 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 44 days of the year.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first one by October 30. That leaves about 197 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Ritchie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fort Ritchie, 85% of that work is heating and 15% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
Fort Ritchie and its neighbors
Fort Ritchie borders 1 town with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.1°. Highfield-Cascade has both the coldest January nights (21°) and the hottest July afternoons (83°). Fort Ritchie’s January low is 21° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Fort Ritchie 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 Fort Ritchie averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fort Ritchie’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 24° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Fort Ritchie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Ritchie?
January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 21°.
What is the hottest month in Fort Ritchie?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fort Ritchie get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Fort Ritchie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 30, and the last spring frost by April 14.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Ritchie?
September, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fort Ritchie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at South Mtn, PA (10 mi, snow) and Catoctin Mtn Park, MD (4 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.