Elsmere, Delaware Weather
Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 15 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Elsmere weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJul 5Overcast49%—90°72°—
- MondayJul 6Heavy Rain47%3.4″76°71°-14°
- TuesdayJul 7Light Drizzle55%0.03″74°67°-2°
- WednesdayJul 8Overcast38%—79°67°+5°
- ThursdayJul 9Light Drizzle33%—90°69°+11°
- FridayJul 10Overcast32%—90°72°0°
- SaturdayJul 11Overcast36%—88°69°-2°
AQI 88 (Moderate), driven by Ozone. AQI up 55 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Ozone at AQI 100 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 10 PM.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 100 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 100
- UV peak
- 2.5 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 100
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 10.7 µg/m³ (AQI 54) with a 0.91 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.91
- Wind
- calm
- 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).








































If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
- Moonrise
- 11:19 PM
- Moonset
- 11:12 AM
- In sign
- ♓︎ Pisces
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Elsmere at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 18°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 14 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jul 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
16-Day Forecast — Elsmere
- Sun91°72°49%
- Mon74°71°47%
- Tue74°67°55%
- Wed79°67°38%
- Thu90°69°33%
- Fri90°72°32%
- Sat88°69°36%
- Sun80°67°20%
- Mon88°68°18%
- Tue72°64°13%
- Wed75°65°13%
- Thu81°63°29%
- Fri90°68°30%
- Sat87°68°29%
- Sun79°70°19%
- Mon70°67°21%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of July 5, 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 — Elsmere
SPC has placed Elsmere in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYSLGTSlight Risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3NONENo severe risk
Scattered severe storms possible. A few tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind gusts possible.
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.
Microseason · July 1–5
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Annual cicada buzz begins, peaking in the heat of the day.
Day 186 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72
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
In Elsmere, July runs warmest near 76°F and January coldest around 31°F, while July is the wettest month (5.2 inches) and February the driest (3.0 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 3.7″ | 7 |
| February | 33° | 3.0″ | 6 |
| March | 41° | 4.7″ | 7 |
| April | 52° | 4.1″ | 7 |
| May | 62° | 3.8″ | 7 |
| June | 71° | 4.7″ | 8 |
| July | 76° | 5.2″ | 7 |
| August | 74° | 4.4″ | 6 |
| September | 67° | 5.1″ | 7 |
| October | 55° | 4.1″ | 6 |
| November | 45° | 3.3″ | 6 |
| December | 36° | 4.4″ | 7 |
Regional context
Elsmere's climate, from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 station normals, pairs 31°F Januarys with 76°F Julys — a 45°F swing. About 50.3 inches of precipitation falls over roughly 81 days a year.
Rainfall in Elsmere stays even across the calendar: July tops out at 5.2 inches over 7.0 rainy days, and February still logs 3.0 inches across 6.1 — a narrow range for Elsmere. It is a balanced pattern Elsmere shares with places like Newport, DE, Greenville, DE and Wilmington, DE.
By mid-April the frosts ease in Elsmere, opening the season for peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-soil crops in Elsmere wait about two weeks past Elsmere's last frost, once the soil warms. Around mid-November, freezing nights resume in Elsmere and tender crops must come in. In Elsmere, low spots run 4-7°F colder than nearby slopes, nudging Elsmere's frost dates a week.
Similar climates: Newport, DE, Greenville, DE, Wilmington, DE, Wilmington Manor, DE, Edgemoor, DE.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Elsmere?
- Elsmere's last spring frost lands near mid-April, and in Elsmere the first fall frost follows around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Elsmere?
- Elsmere sees its heaviest rain in July (around 5.2 inches), part of roughly 50 inches a year.
- What is the warmest month in Elsmere?
- The warmest stretch in Elsmere comes in July, around 76°F on average.
- What is the coldest month in Elsmere?
- On average January is the chilliest month in Elsmere, about 31°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Elsmere?
- Time tomatoes in Elsmere for two weeks after mid-April; peas and greens start at Elsmere's frost line.
- How many rainy days does Elsmere get?
- Elsmere averages about 81 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
- What hardiness zone is Elsmere?
- Elsmere sits in the USDA zone set by January lows near 31°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Elsmere?
- Elsmere's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Elsmere?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Elsmere in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Elsmere?
- Current conditions for Elsmere and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Elsmere forecast updated?
- The Elsmere forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Elsmere?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Elsmere are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Elsmere?
- The next few days in Elsmere's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Climate
Elsmere, Delaware occupies a warm-summer humid continental zone, with January means near 31°F and July around 76°F — a 45°F swing.
Across the year, Elsmere collects about 50 inches of precipitation over roughly 81 days with measurable rain or snow.
Latitude 39.7°N gives Elsmere its 45°F swing, and with it the rhythm of Elsmere's growing season.
ZIP codes in Elsmere
- 19804
- 19805