Photo: Dadadata · Public domainWinter nights in Cape Charles are milder than in 75% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 88°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 67% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Tender plants can go out after about March 28; in half of years the first frost comes by November 17.
A year in Cape Charles at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cape Charles’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cape Charles’ place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Cape Charles feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 234 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cape Charles’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Langley Afb, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cape Charles
73% 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 Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA.
Living with Cape Charles’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
234 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cape Charles from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cape Charles and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cape Charles yet.
Climates most like Cape Charles’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Charles, VA | 32° | 88° | 46" | 2.7" |
| Trinity, NC | 30° | 88° | 46" | 1.9" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Parker, SC | 32° | 89° | 50" | 1.9" |
| Dallas, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
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 Cape Charles averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Cape Charles compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cape Charles’ place among Virginia’s.
Cape Charles weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cape Charles’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Langley Afb, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.4" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 1 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 57° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| May | 75° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 88° | 71° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| November | 60° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 36° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 55° |
| Year | 68° | 51° | 46.4" | 2.7" | 110 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 55°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cape Charles’ 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 Cape Charles’ center.
- Snow: Langley Afb, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA, 5 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 Cape Charles’ climate
What is the weather like in Cape Charles?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cape Charles in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Cape Charles get?
About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Langley Afb, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cape Charles?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 71°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Cape Charles?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 234 frost-free days, at Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA.
What growing zone is Cape Charles in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cape Charles?
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 Cape Charles getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cape Charles.
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.