Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Wet weather: 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Dryden, more than in 87% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.5° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Dryden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dryden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dryden’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Dryden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pennington Gap, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dryden’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Closplint 4 Ese, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 150 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dryden
83% 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 Pennington Gap, VA.
Living with Dryden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 20.
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 Dryden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dryden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dryden yet.
Climates most like Dryden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dryden, VA | 26° | 85° | 51" | 35" |
| Westport, CT | 24° | 85° | 48" | 34" |
| New Rochelle, NY | 26° | 85° | 47" | 33" |
| Keansburg, NJ | 26° | 86° | 47" | 32" |
| Coatesville, PA | 22° | 86° | 49" | 32" |
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 Dryden averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Dryden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dryden’s place among Virginia’s.
Dryden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dryden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Closplint 4 Ese, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 4.3" | 9.3" | 15 | 5 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 4.4" | 8.4" | 13 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 59° | 34° | 4.9" | 6.5" | 14 | 2 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 42° | 4.5" | 1.6" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 33° | 3.4" | 1.0" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 5.1" | 7.7" | 14 | 3 | 29° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 51.2" | 34.6" | 150 | 12 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dryden’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 Dryden’s center.
- Snow: Closplint 4 Ese, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pennington Gap, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Dryden’s climate
What is the weather like in Dryden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dryden in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 120 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 27°.
How much snow does Dryden get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Closplint 4 Ese, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dryden?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Pennington Gap, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Dryden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Pennington Gap, VA.
What growing zone is Dryden in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dryden?
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 Dryden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dryden.
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.