Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0Nights stay kind in Norfolk each January, milder than in 77% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 88°. Seasons differ by 55°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 73% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from April to June and September to October brings highs of 69–84°.
A year in Norfolk at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norfolk’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norfolk’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Norfolk feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 252 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 17 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from Norfolk International Airport, Norfolk’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norfolk’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 Norfolk International Airport, 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 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norfolk
62% 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 Norfolk International Airport.
Living with Norfolk’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
252 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norfolk from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norfolk and its neighbors
Chesapeake has the coldest January nights next door (31°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Norfolk’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk, VA | 33° | 88° | 48" | 6.2" |
| Asheboro, NC | 31° | 89° | 47" | 4.6" |
| Welcome, SC | 32° | 89° | 50" | 3.9" |
| Dallas, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Norfolk averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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. In a city of 231,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Norfolk compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norfolk’s place among Virginia’s.
Norfolk weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norfolk’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norfolk International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 33° | 3.4" | 3.2" | 11 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 52° | 35° | 2.8" | 1.5" | 9 | 33° – 51° |
| March | 59° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 11 | 45° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 76° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 88° | 72° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 71° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 66° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 71° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 61° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 53° | 37° | 3.3" | 1.1" | 10 | 35° – 57° |
| Year | 69° | 52° | 47.6" | 6.2" | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 57°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Norfolk’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 Norfolk’s center.
- Snow: Norfolk International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Norfolk International Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Norfolk’s climate
What is the weather like in Norfolk?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norfolk in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Norfolk get?
About 6.2 inches in a normal winter at Norfolk International Airport, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Norfolk?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 72°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Norfolk International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Norfolk?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 17 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 252 frost-free days, at Norfolk International Airport.
What growing zone is Norfolk in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norfolk?
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 Norfolk getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norfolk.
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.