Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

North Bethesda, Maryland Weather

Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 15 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

North Bethesda weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

North Bethesda, MD
Saturday, July 4 at 9:21 PM
82
°
Overcast
Feels like
88°
Humidity
71%
Wind
7 mph
Sunrise
1:48 AM
Sunset
4:37 PM
North Bethesda, MD
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastNorth Bethesda, MD: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 75 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit with a 31% chance of precipitation at 2 AM.
L 75°H 96°
North Bethesda, MD
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    48%
    —
    100°77°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Heavy Drizzle
    46%
    0.04″
    96°75°-4°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Showers
    77%
    0.02″
    86°73°-10°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Thunderstorm
    77%
    0.05″
    78°70°-8°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Light Drizzle
    38%
    0.02″
    77°67°-1°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Overcast
    11%
    —
    94°67°+17°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Light Drizzle
    44%
    —
    97°72°+3°
North Bethesda, MD
Next 24 hours · Warm now
HOT 90°70°85°100°6p12a6a12pnow 82°high 96°low 75°PRECIP %
North Bethesda, MD
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
SSW
213° · backing 111°
Direction
SSW
213°
Sustained
7
mph
Gust
15
mph
Peak 24h
19
avg 5
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 5 · pk 19 @ 7:00p
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 224SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Light breeze backing 111° from the ssw.
North Bethesda, MD
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1001.1
+2.8 mb in 3h · rising rapidly · 29.56 inHg
Now
1001.1
mb
3h
+2.8
mb
12h
-1.8
mb
24h
-1.3
mb
Regime · RAIN
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 998–1003
9909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1002.8998.11000.9
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Pressure climbing out of the rain band — clearing edging in.
North Bethesda, MD
Air quality
75
AQI
Moderate
→-1 in 6h

AQI 75 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 13.0 µg/m³, PM10 at 13.5 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERModerate
13.0μg/m³
PM 10Good
14μg/m³
NO₂Good
12μg/m³
OzoneModerate
95μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.0

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 45 now. With UV 0.0 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 8 around 1 PM.

Present
AQI 45
UV peak
0.0 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
partly cloudy
Projected peak
AQI 8

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 13.0 µg/m³, PM10 at 13.5 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

PM2.5/PM10
0.96
Wind
light
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
background

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).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³330
North Bethesda, MD
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
47.7mi
UNLIMITED
103 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
01:21 UTC · North Bethesda, MD · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
01:21 UTC · North Bethesda, MD · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
North Bethesda, MD
Satellite · infrared · animated
North Bethesda, MD
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
North Bethesda, MD
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
5:17 AM
Sunrise
1:48 AM
Daylight
14h 49m
Sunset
4:37 PM
Civil dusk
9:10 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
North Bethesda, MD
The moon
Waning Gibbous
77% illuminated
Moonrise
11:25 PM
Moonset
11:18 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
North Bethesda, MD
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

fish
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

North Bethesda at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 9°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: April 10 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

16-Day Forecast — North Bethesda

  1. Sat100°77°48%
  2. Sun96°75°46%
  3. Mon86°73°77%
  4. Tue78°70°77%
  5. Wed77°67°38%
  6. Thu94°67°11%
  7. Fri97°72°44%
  8. Sat83°69°37%
  9. Sun80°66°23%
  10. Mon85°61°20%
  11. Tue91°64°18%
  12. Wed90°66°33%
  13. Thu88°64°37%
  14. Fri90°70°42%
  15. Sat90°71°44%
  16. Sun87°68°46%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near North Bethesda

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 — North Bethesda

SPC has placed North Bethesda in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.

  • TODAYSLGTSlight Risk
  • TOMORROWSLGTSlight Risk
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

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.

January 1–5: The year turns in silence.January 6–10: Ice thickens on still water.January 11–15: Shortest shadows lengthen.January 16–20: Pheasants begin to call.January 21–25: Springs begin to thaw.January 26–31: Chickadees announce dawn.February 1–5: East wind softens the frost.February 6–10: Sap begins to rise.February 11–15: First snowdrops appear.February 16–20: Red-winged blackbirds return.February 21–25: Rain begins to replace snow.February 26–28: Skunk cabbage pushes through ice.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the reservoir.March 6–10: Crocuses open to weak sun.March 11–15: Peepers call from the marsh.March 16–20: Woodcocks spiral at dusk.March 21–25: Equinox — light overtakes dark.March 26–31: Forsythia opens along the fences.April 1–5: Cherry blossoms drift like snow.April 6–10: Warblers appear in the understory.April 11–15: Magnolias bloom and fall in a day.April 16–20: Dogwoods float above the forest.April 21–25: Lilacs perfume the evening.April 26–30: Last frost releases the garden.May 1–5: Warblers flood the Ramble.May 6–10: Tulip poplars light their candles.May 11–15: Shad run up the rivers.May 16–20: Roses open along the stoops.May 21–25: Firefly scouts appear at dusk.May 26–31: Strawberries ripen in the sun.June 1–5: Fireflies rise from the lawn.June 6–10: Elderflowers open in hedgerows.June 11–15: Solstice approaches — longest light.June 16–20: Honeysuckle sweetens the night.June 21–25: Solstice — the sun stands still.June 26–30: Lightning bugs drift through oaks.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Queen Anne's lace lines the roads.July 11–15: Thunder builds each afternoon.July 16–20: Corn reaches for the tassels.July 21–25: Dog days settle in the haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their chorus.August 1–5: Night falls a minute earlier.August 6–10: Sunflowers face the morning.August 11–15: Goldenrod begins to bloom.August 16–20: Crickets pulse through warm nights.August 21–25: First cool morning surprises.August 26–31: Monarchs stage for flight.September 1–5: School buses reappear.September 6–10: Asters purple the roadsides.September 11–15: Hawk migration over the Hudson.September 16–20: Equinox — dark overtakes light.September 21–25: Apples hang heavy on the branch.September 26–30: Geese begin to chevron south.October 1–5: Witch hazel blooms as others fade.October 6–10: Maples begin to blaze.October 11–15: Frost paints the garden black.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Leaves rattle down the gutters.October 26–31: Clocks fall back — dusk at five.November 1–5: Ginkgos drop overnight.November 6–10: Last leaves cling stubbornly.November 11–15: Juncos arrive from the north.November 16–20: Bare branches reveal the sky.November 21–25: First flurries dust the rooftops.November 26–30: Woodsmoke curls through the block.December 1–5: Darkness settles before dinner.December 6–10: Holly and winterberry persist.December 11–15: Shortest day approaches.December 16–20: Ice begins to form at the edges.December 21–25: Solstice — the sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

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

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

July is North Bethesda's warmest stretch (~78°F) and January its coldest (~32°F); precipitation crests in August at 4.2 inches and ebbs in October to 2.6 inches.

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January32°3.3″13
February35°2.8″12
March44°3.4″15
April55°3.7″17
May63°3.5″18
June72°3.9″17
July78°3.2″17
August77°4.2″18
September70°3.4″14
October59°2.6″11
November46°3.6″12
December37°3.9″14

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, North Bethesda's January averages 32°F and July 78°F — 46°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 41.5 inches over some 175 days.

North Bethesda's precipitation spreads evenly: August peaks at 4.2 inches on 17.8 wet days, while October holds 2.6 inches over 11.1 — no month dominates North Bethesda's rain calendar. It is a balanced pattern North Bethesda shares with places like Garrett Park, MD, Chevy Chase View, MD and North Kensington, MD.

By mid-April the frosts ease in North Bethesda, opening the season for peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. In North Bethesda, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past North Bethesda's frost date. Around mid-November, freezing nights resume in North Bethesda and tender crops must come in. Within North Bethesda, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting North Bethesda's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Garrett Park, MD, Chevy Chase View, MD, North Kensington, MD, Kensington, MD, South Kensington, MD.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in North Bethesda?
Frost typically leaves North Bethesda by mid-April and returns to North Bethesda near mid-November.
What is the rainy season in North Bethesda?
North Bethesda sees its heaviest rain in August (around 4.2 inches), part of roughly 42 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in North Bethesda?
July is North Bethesda's warmest month, averaging about 78°F.
What is the coldest month in North Bethesda?
North Bethesda bottoms out in January, with a mean near 32°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in North Bethesda?
Time tomatoes in North Bethesda for two weeks after mid-April; peas and greens start at North Bethesda's frost line.
How many rainy days does North Bethesda get?
Expect roughly 175 wet days a year in North Bethesda.
What hardiness zone is North Bethesda?
North Bethesda sits in the USDA zone set by January lows near 32°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
What is the 10-day forecast for North Bethesda?
North Bethesda'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 North Bethesda?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for North Bethesda in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in North Bethesda?
Current conditions for North Bethesda and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the North Bethesda forecast updated?
The North Bethesda forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in North Bethesda?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for North Bethesda 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 North Bethesda?
The next few days in North Bethesda's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

North Bethesda, Maryland occupies a warm-summer humid continental zone, with January means near 32°F and July around 78°F — a 46°F swing.

Rain and snow bring North Bethesda roughly 42 inches a year across approximately 175 measurable-precipitation days.

The 46°F gap between North Bethesda's summer and winter, at 39.0°N, shapes North Bethesda's frost calendar.

All cities in Maryland →

Washington, DC weather →

ZIP codes in North Bethesda

  • 20895
  • 20896
  • 20814
  • 20817
  • 20851
  • 20852

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.