Essex, Maryland Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Essex weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast——87°57°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——92°62°+5°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast25%—88°64°-4°
- SundayJun 7Showers25%—87°69°-1°
- MondayJun 8Light Drizzle—0.01″75°64°-12°
- TuesdayJun 9Mostly Clear——77°59°+2°
- WednesdayJun 10Partly Cloudy——86°63°+9°
Ozone at AQI 500 now. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±4 points). With UV 7.5 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 500 by mid-afternoon.
AVOID OUTDOORS Avoid outdoor exertion. Keep windows closed; use HEPA filtration indoors if available.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 500 now. With UV 7.5 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 500 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 500
- UV peak
- 7.5 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 500
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 9.5 µg/m³ (AQI 52) with a 0.99 fine-to-coarse ratio and 6 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.99
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 3:31 AM
- Moonset
- 1:07 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Essex at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 12 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Essex
SPC has placed Essex in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Essex's warmest month is July (~82°F mean) and its coldest is January (~37°F). Rainfall peaks in July (4.7 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 3.1″ | 6 |
| February | 39° | 2.8″ | 6 |
| March | 47° | 3.9″ | 7 |
| April | 58° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| May | 67° | 3.4″ | 7 |
| June | 77° | 3.4″ | 6 |
| July | 82° | 4.7″ | 7 |
| August | 79° | 4.3″ | 6 |
| September | 73° | 4.5″ | 5 |
| October | 61° | 3.5″ | 5 |
| November | 50° | 3.0″ | 5 |
| December | 41° | 3.7″ | 7 |
Regional context
Essex sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Baltimore, MD, Hagerstown, MD, Frederick, MD, Waldorf, MD, Columbia, MD.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Essex?
- Essex's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Essex?
- July is the wettest month with about 4.7 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 44 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Essex?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 82°F.
- What is the coldest month in Essex?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 37°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Essex?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Essex get?
- Essex averages about 72 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Essex?
- Essex's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Essex, Maryland sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 37°F while July averages 82°F — a 45°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Essex receives about 44 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 72 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (39.3°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.