Mansion House · Photo: Eric Schena · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers in McDowell are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 21°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 8, with the first autumn frost due around October 5.
A year in McDowell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McDowell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McDowell’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in McDowell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mustoe 1 Sw, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts McDowell’s center in zone 6b: 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°
About 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mustoe 1 Sw, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McDowell
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 Mustoe 1 Sw, VA.
Living with McDowell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McDowell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McDowell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McDowell yet.
Climates most like McDowell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell, VA | 21° | 82° | 45" | 39" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| Hopkinton, RI | 20° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
| State College, PA | 20° | 83° | 43" | 44" |
| Lynn, MA | 20° | 81° | 48" | 39" |
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 McDowell averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 McDowell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McDowell’s place among Virginia’s.
McDowell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McDowell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mustoe 1 Sw, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 21° | 3.3" | 10.2" | 13 | 11 | 22° – 37° |
| February | 43° | 23° | 2.8" | 11.2" | 12 | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 29° | 3.8" | 7.2" | 13 | 4 | 33° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 30° | 3.1" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 24° | 3.7" | 7.4" | 12 | 7 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 39° | 44.6" | 39.1" | 149 | 33 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where McDowell’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 McDowell’s center.
- Snow: Mustoe 1 Sw, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mustoe 1 Sw, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 McDowell’s climate
What is the weather like in McDowell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McDowell in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 150 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 22°.
How much snow does McDowell get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Mustoe 1 Sw, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 33 days a year.
How hot does it get in McDowell?
July, with a typical high of 82°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Mustoe 1 Sw, VA.
When is the first and last frost in McDowell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 148 frost-free days, at Mustoe 1 Sw, VA.
What growing zone is McDowell in?
Zone 6b 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 McDowell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is McDowell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McDowell.
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.