Bentivar · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainThe climate in Hampden-Sydney sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 27°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Hampden-Sydney at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hampden-Sydney’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hampden-Sydney’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Hampden-Sydney feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Farmville 2 N, VA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hampden-Sydney’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 Farmville 2 N, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hampden-Sydney
76% 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 Farmville 2 N, VA.
Living with Hampden-Sydney’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hampden-Sydney from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hampden-Sydney and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hampden-Sydney yet.
Climates most like Hampden-Sydney’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden-Sydney, VA | 27° | 87° | 46" | 6.1" |
| Kingsport, TN | 28° | 87° | 45" | 5.1" |
| Berlin, MD | 29° | 87° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Statesville, NC | 28° | 88° | 46" | 4.9" |
| Penn Wynne, PA | 25° | 87° | 47" | 7.6" |
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 Hampden-Sydney averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Hampden-Sydney compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hampden-Sydney’s place among Virginia’s.
Hampden-Sydney weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hampden-Sydney’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Farmville 2 N, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 9 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 2.8" | 3.1" | 7 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 4.0" | 1.0" | 9 | 41° – 57° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.7" | 1.4" | 8 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 45.7" | 6.1" | 102 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hampden-Sydney’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 Hampden-Sydney’s center.
- Snow: Farmville 2 N, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Farmville 2 N, VA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 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 Hampden-Sydney’s climate
What is the weather like in Hampden-Sydney?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hampden-Sydney in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Hampden-Sydney get?
About 6.1 inches in a normal winter at Farmville 2 N, VA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Hampden-Sydney?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Farmville 2 N, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Hampden-Sydney?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 199 frost-free days, at Farmville 2 N, VA.
What growing zone is Hampden-Sydney in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hampden-Sydney?
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 Hampden-Sydney getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hampden-Sydney.
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.