Summers, winters and rain in Basye all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 85°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in February. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 62% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 25 to October 19.
A year in Basye at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Basye’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Basye’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Basye 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 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Edinburg, VA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Basye’s center in zone 6b: 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Edinburg, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Basye
87% 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 Edinburg, VA.
Living with Basye’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Basye from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Basye and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Basye yet.
Climates most like Basye’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basye, VA | 22° | 85° | 40" | 21" |
| Dublin, OH | 21° | 85° | 40" | 24" |
| Monaca, PA | 21° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
| Chatham, IL | 20° | 86° | 39" | 22" |
| Peru, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 21" |
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 Basye averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Basye compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Basye’s place among Virginia’s.
Basye weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Basye’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Edinburg, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 22° | 2.7" | 4.8" | 8 | 7 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 46° | 24° | 2.3" | 7.7" | 7 | 7 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 30° | 3.1" | 3.3" | 9 | 3 | 35° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 78° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 26° | 2.8" | 5.1" | 9 | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 65° | 41° | 39.7" | 21.0" | 118 | 23 |
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 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Basye’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 Basye’s center.
- Snow: Edinburg, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Edinburg, VA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Basye’s climate
What is the weather like in Basye?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Basye in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 132 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 24°.
How much snow does Basye get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Edinburg, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Basye?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 60°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Edinburg, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Basye?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 174 frost-free days, at Edinburg, VA.
What growing zone is Basye in?
Zone 6b 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 Basye?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Basye getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Basye.
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.