Photo: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Monterey’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Monterey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Monterey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Monterey’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Monterey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bartow 1s, WV, 13 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Monterey’s center in zone 6a: 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°
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 48 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 Monterey
96% 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 Bartow 1s, WV.
Living with Monterey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Monterey 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 →Monterey and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Monterey yet.
Climates most like Monterey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey, VA | 19° | 79° | 48" | 39" |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA | 20° | 80° | 48" | 39" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Biddeford, ME | 16° | 79° | 49" | 49" |
| Deerpark, NY | 16° | 81° | 49" | 43" |
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 Monterey averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Monterey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Monterey’s place among Virginia’s.
Monterey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Monterey’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 | 37° | 19° | 3.6" | 10.2" | 13 | 11 | 20° – 35° |
| February | 41° | 21° | 3.1" | 11.2" | 12 | 10 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 4.1" | 7.2" | 13 | 4 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 30° | 3.4" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 23° | 3.9" | 7.4" | 12 | 7 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 47.7" | 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 21° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Monterey’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 Monterey’s center.
- Snow: Mustoe 1 Sw, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bartow 1s, WV, 13 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Monterey’s climate
What is the weather like in Monterey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Monterey in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Monterey 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 Monterey?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bartow 1s, WV.
When is the first and last frost in Monterey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 149 frost-free days, at Bartow 1s, WV.
What growing zone is Monterey in?
Zone 6a 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 Monterey?
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 Monterey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Monterey.
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.