Photo: DwayneP at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Atkins has cooler summers than 86% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 23°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 58°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Atkins at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Atkins’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Atkins’ place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Atkins feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wytheville, VA, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Atkins’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wytheville, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Atkins
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Wytheville, VA.
Living with Atkins’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Atkins from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Atkins and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Atkins yet.
Climates most like Atkins’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkins, VA | 23° | 81° | 46" | 18" |
| Groton, CT | 23° | 81° | 46" | 25" |
| Westerly, RI | 23° | 81° | 45" | 25" |
| Southold, NY | 24° | 81° | 45" | 27" |
| East Falmouth, MA | 24° | 80° | 48" | 25" |
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 Atkins averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Atkins compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Atkins’ place among Virginia’s.
Atkins weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Atkins’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wytheville, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 23° | 3.6" | 5.9" | 11 | 5 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 3.3" | 4.9" | 11 | 5 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.1" | 2.9" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 26° | 3.7" | 3.8" | 11 | 3 | 26° – 47° |
| Year | 63° | 40° | 46.3" | 18.4" | 135 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Atkins’ 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 Atkins’ center.
- Snow: Wytheville, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wytheville, VA, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Atkins’ climate
What is the weather like in Atkins?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Atkins in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Atkins get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Wytheville, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Atkins?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Wytheville, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Atkins?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 174 frost-free days, at Wytheville, VA.
What growing zone is Atkins in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Atkins?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Atkins getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Atkins.
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.