Potomac Heights, MD climate
Potomac Heights has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Potomac Heights feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Potomac Heights 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 | 45° | 27° | 2.8" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 2.6" | 3.5" | 9 | 5 | 29° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 3.6" | 2.8" | 9 | 2 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 3.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 3.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 61° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 48° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 38° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 31° | 3.6" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 68° | 47° | 42.9" | 13.4" | 116 | 12 |
“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 Potomac Heights
Potomac Heights gets 43 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 12 days of the year.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first one by November 8. That leaves about 226 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 84% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Potomac Heights
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Potomac Heights, 73% of that work is heating and 27% 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.
Potomac Heights and its neighbors
Potomac Heights borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.0°. Indian Head has both the coldest January nights (27°) and the hottest July afternoons (89°). Potomac Heights’s January low is 27° and its July high 89°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Potomac Heights 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 Potomac Heights averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Potomac Heights’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 31° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Potomac Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in Potomac Heights?
January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 27°.
What is the hottest month in Potomac Heights?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 30 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Potomac Heights get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Potomac Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 8, and the last spring frost by March 28.
What is the rainiest month in Potomac Heights?
July, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 43 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Potomac Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Franconia 1.3 Sse, VA (10 mi, snow) and Quantico Mcas, VA (11 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.