Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Duffield gets more rain and snow than 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 26°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 66% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.6°, most of all in December. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Duffield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Duffield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Duffield’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Duffield feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Stone Gap, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Duffield’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Stone Gap, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Duffield
84% 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 Big Stone Gap, VA.
Living with Duffield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Duffield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Duffield and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Duffield yet.
Climates most like Duffield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duffield, VA | 26° | 84° | 52" | 9.2" |
| Forked River, NJ | 26° | 85° | 46" | 10" |
| Bardstown, KY | 25° | 87° | 51" | 12" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
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 Duffield averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Duffield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Duffield’s place among Virginia’s.
Duffield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Duffield’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Stone Gap, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 4.3" | 3.1" | 12 | 3 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 4.3" | 2.9" | 12 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 5.0" | 1.3" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 5.0" | 1.8" | 12 | 1 | 29° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 51.8" | 9.2" | 141 | 5 |
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 Duffield’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 Duffield’s center.
- Snow: Big Stone Gap, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Stone Gap, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Duffield’s climate
What is the weather like in Duffield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Duffield in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Duffield get?
About 9.2 inches in a normal winter at Big Stone Gap, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Duffield?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Big Stone Gap, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Duffield?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 186 frost-free days, at Big Stone Gap, VA.
What growing zone is Duffield in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Duffield?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Duffield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Duffield.
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.