James City Historic District · Photo: Graham, William E. · Public domainWeather without surprises: Brightwood keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 65% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.5°, most of all in December. The outdoor season runs from April to June and September to October, with highs of 68–84°.
A year in Brightwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brightwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brightwood’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Brightwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brightwood’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brightwood
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA.
Living with Brightwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brightwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brightwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brightwood yet.
Climates most like Brightwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightwood, VA | 25° | 88° | 45" | 16" |
| Wilmington, DE | 25° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Carneys Point, NJ | 26° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Croydon, PA | 25° | 87° | 47" | 20" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
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 Brightwood averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Brightwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brightwood’s place among Virginia’s.
Brightwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brightwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 3.0" | 4.6" | 9 | 4 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 27° | 2.5" | 5.6" | 8 | 5 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 3.6" | 2.7" | 10 | 2 | 39° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 88° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 3.5" | 3.2" | 8 | 3 | 29° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 45.0" | 16.4" | 111 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Brightwood’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 Brightwood’s center.
- Snow: Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, 13 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 Brightwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Brightwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brightwood in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Brightwood get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brightwood?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 65°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Brightwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 204 frost-free days, at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA.
What growing zone is Brightwood in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brightwood?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Brightwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brightwood.
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.