How would you rate Maryland Weather? (Baltimore: heat pump, live, airport)

[Turnerbro]

It's a good 4 season climate, but personally I wish our extremes where a bit lower. I'm fine with some snow and cold, just not a lot of it.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by Moth

Like most of the Mid-Atlantic, Maryland has crap weather.

Wet, dreary Winters.
Hot and brutally humid Summers
Spring is nice but fleeting.
Same with Fall.

You asked.

How exactly are Spring and Fall fleeting? I haven't gotten that impression recently. It varies year to year.

[Digger 68]

Today was almost to hot. It was cool in the morning, and chilly last night (which I didn't mind) but I finally got sweaty but, although not to bad today. I dried off quick as soon as I go off the bike. To hot to finish my second cup of coffee in the sun. I had to park in the shade with a friendly spider.

[Digger 68]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

How exactly are Spring and Fall fleeting? I haven't gotten that impression recently. It varies year to year.

So far much of this spring has been above average, and fall was sort of sucky. It was hot to long and instead of getting that beautiful October weather we went what felt like right into November after the September heat.
September is primarily a summer month, just like June is primarily a Spring month, but usually both of them feel a lot like summer.
I will give you early June nights though. Really pretty nights with mild temperatures, and lots of fire flies flickering in the trees. That's if we are lucky. And we don't get many of those nights before it gets to hot. And it's a lot like today was in the later afternoon in early June. Not bad, but not that great either.
I know it's preference, but I just hate summer! And I am thin, and easily tan. I never burn.

I really need to check out the interior west in the summer up a bit in elevation. Where summer is actually nice.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

How exactly are Spring and Fall fleeting? I haven't gotten that impression recently. It varies year to year.

Yes, this. Last year, we had a VERY long spring in Western Maryland. It extended well into May........we didn't get the garden planted until early June......just not warm enough for summer stuff.

This year is more typical.

The years when it goes from 40s to 80s in 4 weeks are the pits.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Borntoolate85

I recall a thread on the weather forum where they graded each month. Generally speaking, I'd say that southern Maryland is best in the winter but worst in the summer, but with the best spring weather, while the mountains and the beaches as you might expect have the best summer weather. Fall tends to be the best season overall across the board, with fewer thunderstorms and rainy days compared to the spring/summer, the most agreeable temperatures, and the greatest number of clear days. I didn't give any F's outside of western Maryland winters, since while summers can be hot at times across most of the state, there are usually cool fronts that bring periods of relief unlike the persistent heat/humidity that is common in the deep south, where I would indeed rate their summer months with F's. Conversely, with the exception of some Januaries, there is almost always a thaw where temperatures reach 60 degrees in each winter month, which means that winters aren't all that bad outside of a few short episodes of cold/snow. Note that this is an average rating, some years may be unusually wet or warm/cold, which could perceive the month to be worse off. I'd say for central Maryland so far in 2019, I'd give January a D (typical cold/snow), February a D (slightly milder than normal but cloudier and wetter than normal), March a C (typical early spring variability), and this April a B+ (dry and mild, but a little too cloudier than normal for an A).

Western Maryland (Clear Spring and west):

January: F (unless if you like skiing)
February: F (great skiing conditions though if it isn't too warm)
March: C- (They DO have a bit of a mud season like they have in New England, but it isn't as bad)
April: B-
May: B+
June: A-
July: B
August: B
September: A
October: B
November: D
December: F

Northern Maryland (north of US 40 except for Baltimore city and county inside the Beltway):

January: D-
February: D
March: C
April: B
May: A-
June: B
July: C
August: B-
September: A
October: A-
November: C-
December: D

Central Maryland and the Upper Eastern Shore (including all of Baltimore city):

January: D
February: D
March: C
April: B+
May: A-
June: C
July: D
August: C
September: A-
October: A
November: C
December: D

Southern Maryland and the Lower Eastern Shore (except along the immediate coastline):

January: D
February: C-
March: C+
April: A-
May: B
June: C
July: D-
August: D
September: B+
October: A
November: C+
December: C-

Immediate bay shore and ocean:

January: D
February: D
March: C-
April: B-
May: B+
June: A
July: B
August: B-
September: A
October: B+
November: C
December: D

Not a spring fan, eh? Fair enough. March and April are my favorite months of the year. The days are getting longer, the sun is getting warm, the air still has a chill to it, the forest is coming to live, and you can still get some big snow storms.........that then quickly melt and are gone.

[Cruzincat]

Having lived in southern Maine/coastal NH, Southern Mass/RI, and in South Florida, before moving to MD in the mid 80s, I can say that the best weather on the east coast is right here in Maryland. You get some cold in winter that can be harsh, and some hot weather in summer that can be pretty tough to put up with.

But, here it doesn’t last for a month, usually much less. During the winter, we often get a few days much warmer than normal, and in the summer, much cooler than normal. I can tell you, it does not happen that way in the rest of the east coast.

One year, in September, we took a cruise out of Charleston, SC. We spent a few days there before the cruise, and those were the hottest and most humid days I can remember anywhere.

I have also spent a lot of time in the Denver area while in the USAF. The last 25 years I got to spend a lot of time in Orange County, CA. Now, those are two places I could live in, if only my kids would move there first! That and I hit a lottery for California.

[Veritas Vincit]

I dont live in Maryland but work there...so i spend a lot of time there and in any event the climate in NoVa is basically the same as over in MD.

I think its pretty bad. Winter is chilly with plenty of cold days and freezing nights. The average is misleading because of the occasional day with 60s sprinkled in. Id rather have 45 every day than a week of 20s and low 30s pierced by a day with 65 degrees. That type of rapid up and down is unwholesome.

Spring and fall tend to be quite short. This April has been good but last year there barely were any nice days before it got humid and hot.

Which brings me to the quasi-tropical summers...way too humid to be enjoyable. Go to a ball game? A walk in the park? A BBQ? Better like sweating!

[Schwartzmann]

Originally Posted by Cruzincat

Having lived in southern Maine/coastal NH, Southern Mass/RI, and in South Florida, before moving to MD in the mid 80s, I can say that the best weather on the east coast is right here in Maryland. You get some cold in winter that can be harsh, and some hot weather in summer that can be pretty tough to put up with.

But, here it doesn’t last for a month, usually much less. During the winter, we often get a few days much warmer than normal, and in the summer, much cooler than normal. I can tell you, it does not happen that way in the rest of the east coast.

One year, in September, we took a cruise out of Charleston, SC. We spent a few days there before the cruise, and those were the hottest and most humid days I can remember anywhere.

I have also spent a lot of time in the Denver area while in the USAF. The last 25 years I got to spend a lot of time in Orange County, CA. Now, those are two places I could live in, if only my kids would move there first! That and I hit a lottery for California.

I have to agree with you on this one. For the East Coast, MD is tops. But the West and West Coast are better!

[Digger 68]

^
So the weather on the entire east coast sux....

One thing, as the thread says, Maryland Weather.

It might be pleasant to okay in the western part of the state in the summer, but in the Baltimore/DC metros it's hot, and humid.

It's a whole lot more than a month of being uncomfortable. I have been in western Maryland in the summer and it feels like you are in a different season at times. Drive back to Baltimore County and it's hot and humid.

It can actually feel hotter in the burbs than in the city because there is no shade, and nothing but suburban sprawl. It's like an oven.

Like I said earlier in the thread, people are not moving much in the heat to say it's okay. Walk, or bike everywhere and your perspective will change.

This past weekend was really nice. It wasn't until late in the afternoon Sunday that the weather changed and the temperature dropped almost 15 degrees in two hours. I didn't mind the weekend though, even with the wind. It was comfortable. No need for air, or heat until last night.

Man, I could live in the interior west just for the weather. And great cycling.........