Burke's Garden Central Church And Cemetery · Photo: IxieVerns · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives softly in Gratton, cooler than in 93% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 23°. Only 57° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 75% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to October, with highs of 64–80°.
A year in Gratton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gratton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gratton’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Gratton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burkes Garden, VA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gratton’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burkes Garden, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gratton
95% 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 Burkes Garden, VA.
Living with Gratton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gratton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gratton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gratton yet.
Climates most like Gratton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gratton, VA | 23° | 80° | 48" | 47" |
| Gloucester, MA | 20° | 79° | 48" | 51" |
| South Kingstown, RI | 24° | 80° | 47" | 35" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
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 Gratton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Gratton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gratton’s place among Virginia’s.
Gratton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gratton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burkes Garden, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 3.8" | 13.2" | 15 | 12 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 3.6" | 11.4" | 13 | 10 | 24° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 4.4" | 9.1" | 14 | 6 | 34° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 4.3" | 1.3" | 13 | 1 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 53° | 31° | 3.1" | 2.2" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 26° | 3.8" | 9.1" | 14 | 9 | 24° – 46° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 47.9" | 46.9" | 161 | 40 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gratton’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 Gratton’s center.
- Snow: Burkes Garden, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burkes Garden, VA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Gratton’s climate
What is the weather like in Gratton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gratton in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Gratton get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Burkes Garden, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gratton?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Burkes Garden, VA.
When is the first and last frost in Gratton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 150 frost-free days, at Burkes Garden, VA.
What growing zone is Gratton in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gratton?
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 Gratton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gratton.
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.