Discover the 5 Coldest Places in Maryland

5. College Park

College Park is a beautiful destination in the middle of summer. The temperatures rarely ever break 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The average high is closer to 89 degrees, even in the peak summer months.

In the winter it gets a bit colder. January and February are known to be the coldest months of the year, with average lows around 29 degrees. Thankfully, it’s just for those two months. For the rest of the year, the temperatures, even the average lows, are a bit higher. College Park has average temperatures that range between 36 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit on average throughout the year. The coldest temperature on record for College Park hit on January 13th, 1912. That day, it got down to -26 degrees Fahrenheit.

College Park is about four miles from Washington D.C. Because it’s so close to the country’s capital and busy city areas, the population is quite high. Around 35,000 people live in the city at any given time. The city is also known for being one of America’s centers for exploration, education, and experimentation.

4. Laurel

Laurel Maryland has lows that get anywhere from 26 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. However, the average temperatures are much nicer, ranging from 33 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s no official record of the coldest temperature in the town to date, but it’s thought to be around -7 degrees Fahrenheit. Based on other historical records throughout the state, January 13th, 1912 was likely the coldest date in recent history.

Laurel is located halfway between Baltimore and Washington D.C. It’s on the banks of the Patuxent River. The sprawl of the city spreads across several counties, including Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince George, and Montgomery. It has a population of approximately 29,500 people.

3. Hagerstown

The city of Hagerstown gets pretty cold in the winter. During some parts of the year, the average temperature drops down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with lows of 26 degrees. On average, the temperatures go from 32 to 77 degrees. However, the coldest temperature on record was -27 degrees Fahrenheit, which happened on the 13th of January in 1912.

Hagerstown is a bustling city in Maryland, with a population of over 43,000. It was once known as the “Hub City” because of all of the travel passing through. Though many of the trains and passenger services no longer operate, it’s still a busy town. It’s even a place where I-70 and I-81 intersect.

2. McHenry

Technically, McHenry isn’t the coldest based on records. However, according to those who actually live in the state, it definitely takes the cake. While there is one more place officially higher on the coldest places in Maryland lists, this town is known for its consistently cold temperatures.

On average, the temperature in winter is around 24 degrees Fahrenheit. The average low throughout the year is 35 degrees Fahrenheit. This puts it a little lower than the next on the list, which has an average low of 37 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the next place wins for other reasons.

There’s no report on the coldest winter on record for McHenry. However, just in 2022, with wind chills, temperatures dropped to where they felt like -32 degrees Fahrenheit.

McHenry is a small town, with a population of only 1,500 or so. It’s right on the edge of Deep Creek Lake, which accounts for some of the colder temperatures. There’s a lot to do in the area, including golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter.

1. Oakland

Though many natives consider McHenry to be the coldest place in Maryland, Oakland is the official record. On January 13th, 1912, the city of Oakland was recorded at -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly, this is the temperature when both Fahrenheit and Celsius are at the same number.

In the summer, this is a rather pleasant city. It has a warm and humid continental climate. However, the winters can grow rather rough. For those inexperienced with cold, it’s a difficult place to be in the winter. The average temperatures throughout the year range between 20 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with average low temperatures dropping as low as 21 degrees Fahrenheit in January and February.

Oakland is fairly isolated, with around 1,800 people living in the town at any given time. There’s plenty to do in the area if you love the outdoors. The head of the Potomac River is only a few miles away, and there are plenty of options for hiking, skiing, and playing in the water, depending on the time of year.