Photo: FatCat96 · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Payne Gap than on 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 25°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 69% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.6° rise. Garden chairs stay out from April to October, the months with highs of 67–83°.
A year in Payne Gap at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Payne Gap’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Payne Gap’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Payne Gap feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clintwood 1w, VA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Payne Gap’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clintwood 1w, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Payne Gap
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Clintwood 1w, VA.
Living with Payne Gap’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Payne Gap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Payne Gap and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Payne Gap yet.
Climates most like Payne Gap’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payne Gap, KY | 25° | 83° | 49" | 38" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| Port Jefferson, NY | 24° | 83° | 47" | 32" |
| Milford, CT | 23° | 84° | 48" | 34" |
| Barrington, RI | 23° | 82° | 49" | 37" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Payne Gap averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Payne Gap compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Payne Gap’s place among Kentucky’s.
Payne Gap weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Payne Gap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clintwood 1w, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.6" | 11.5" | 16 | 11 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 3.8" | 10.5" | 15 | 8 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 4.4" | 6.6" | 15 | 4 | 38° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 33° | 3.0" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 28° | 4.3" | 7.6" | 15 | 7 | 27° – 49° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 48.7" | 38.4" | 161 | 30 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Payne Gap’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Payne Gap’s center.
- Snow: Clintwood 1w, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clintwood 1w, VA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Payne Gap’s climate
What is the weather like in Payne Gap?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Payne Gap in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Payne Gap get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Clintwood 1w, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in Payne Gap?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Clintwood 1w, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Payne Gap?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 169 frost-free days, at Clintwood 1w, VA.
What growing zone is Payne Gap in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Payne Gap?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Payne Gap getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Payne Gap.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.