Photo: Doug Kerr (Flickr user Dougtone) · CC BY-SA 2.0Summer arrives softly in Fries, cooler than in 75% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 24°. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to October, with highs of 66–83°.
A year in Fries at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fries’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fries’ place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Fries feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Galax Radio Wbrf, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fries’ 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galax Radio Wbrf, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fries
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Galax Radio Wbrf, VA.
Living with Fries’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fries from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fries and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fries yet.
Climates most like Fries’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fries, VA | 24° | 83° | 44" | 17" |
| Cheat Lake, WV | 22° | 83° | 46" | 14" |
| Woodbury, NY | 24° | 84° | 45" | 19" |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 17" |
| Old Lyme, CT | 23° | 82° | 46" | 25" |
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 Fries averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller 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 Fries compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fries’ place among Virginia’s.
Fries weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fries’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galax Radio Wbrf, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 24° | 3.4" | 4.6" | 10 | 5 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 2.9" | 5.8" | 8 | 6 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 55° | 32° | 3.8" | 3.4" | 9 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 56° | 31° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 3.2" | 1.9" | 9 | 3 | 27° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 44.1" | 16.6" | 117 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fries’ 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 Fries’ center.
- Snow: Galax Radio Wbrf, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Galax Radio Wbrf, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Fries’ climate
What is the weather like in Fries?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fries in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Fries get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Galax Radio Wbrf, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fries?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Galax Radio Wbrf, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Fries?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 171 frost-free days, at Galax Radio Wbrf, VA.
What growing zone is Fries 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 Fries?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fries getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fries.
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.