Harriston’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Harriston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harriston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harriston’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Harriston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harriston’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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Staunton Wtp, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harriston
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Waynesboro Wtp, VA.
Living with Harriston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 Harriston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harriston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Harriston yet.
Climates most like Harriston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harriston, VA | 25° | 85° | 43" | 22" |
| Jackson, OH | 23° | 85° | 44" | 21" |
| South Farmingdale, NY | 24° | 85° | 44" | 19" |
| Clairton, PA | 22° | 84° | 41" | 21" |
| Highland Heights, KY | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 Harriston averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Harriston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harriston’s place among Virginia’s.
Harriston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harriston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Staunton Wtp, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.0" | 5.4" | 9 | 5 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 2.4" | 6.8" | 7 | 6 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 55° | 33° | 3.5" | 4.1" | 9 | 3 | 38° – 54° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 28° | 3.2" | 4.8" | 9 | 4 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 42.8" | 21.6" | 119 | 19 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Harriston’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 Harriston’s center.
- Snow: Staunton Wtp, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 9 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 Harriston’s climate
What is the weather like in Harriston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harriston in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Harriston get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Staunton Wtp, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Harriston?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Waynesboro Wtp, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Harriston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Waynesboro Wtp, VA.
What growing zone is Harriston 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 Harriston?
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 Harriston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Harriston.
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.