Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Kilmarnock tops that of 73% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. A year here swings 60° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In January, nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 1; in half of years the first frost comes by November 10.
A year in Kilmarnock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kilmarnock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kilmarnock’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Kilmarnock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 223 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N, VA, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kilmarnock’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at W Pt 2 Nw, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kilmarnock
75% 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 N, VA.
Living with Kilmarnock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
223 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kilmarnock from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kilmarnock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kilmarnock yet.
Climates most like Kilmarnock’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmarnock, VA | 28° | 88° | 48" | 9.6" |
| Reidsville, NC | 29° | 88° | 46" | 7.3" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
| Jefferson City, TN | 28° | 87° | 49" | 10" |
| Paducah, KY | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
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 Kilmarnock averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Kilmarnock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kilmarnock’s place among Virginia’s.
Kilmarnock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kilmarnock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Pt 2 Nw, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 28° | 3.5" | 4.3" | 11 | 2 | 33° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 2.9" | 2.6" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 37° | 4.1" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 70° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 68° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| September | 80° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 60° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 32° | 3.7" | 1.6" | 11 | 1 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 68° | 49° | 47.5" | 9.6" | 123 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Kilmarnock’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 Kilmarnock’s center.
- Snow: W Pt 2 Nw, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N, VA, 20 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 Kilmarnock’s climate
What is the weather like in Kilmarnock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kilmarnock in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Kilmarnock get?
About 9.6 inches in a normal winter at W Pt 2 Nw, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kilmarnock?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 70°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (N, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Kilmarnock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 223 frost-free days, at N, VA.
What growing zone is Kilmarnock in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kilmarnock?
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 Kilmarnock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kilmarnock.
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.