Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified · Public domainChesapeake’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Chesapeake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chesapeake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chesapeake’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Chesapeake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 16. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fentress Naas, VA, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Norfolk S, VA, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chesapeake’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norfolk International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July 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 Chesapeake
68% 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 Norfolk S, VA.
Living with Chesapeake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September, October and November. 145 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chesapeake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chesapeake and its neighbors
Suffolk has the coldest January nights next door (30°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chesapeake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake, VA | 31° | 89° | 49" | 6.2" |
| Cherryville, NC | 29° | 89° | 48" | 5.6" |
| Welcome, SC | 32° | 89° | 50" | 3.9" |
| Dallas, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Chesapeake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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. In a city of 255,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Chesapeake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chesapeake’s place among Virginia’s.
Chesapeake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chesapeake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norfolk International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 3.6" | 3.2" | 11 | 36° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 33° | 3.0" | 1.5" | 9 | 33° – 51° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 11 | 44° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 70° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 68° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 63° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 3.4" | 1.1" | 10 | 34° – 56° |
| Year | 70° | 50° | 49.1" | 6.2" | 118 |
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 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chesapeake’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 Chesapeake’s center.
- Snow: Norfolk International Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Norfolk S, VA, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Fentress Naas, VA, 9 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Chesapeake’s climate
What is the weather like in Chesapeake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chesapeake in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Chesapeake get?
About 6.2 inches in a normal winter at Norfolk International Airport, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Chesapeake?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 70°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Norfolk S, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Chesapeake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 239 frost-free days, at Norfolk S, VA.
What growing zone is Chesapeake in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chesapeake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chesapeake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chesapeake.
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.