Photo: Rutke421 23:17, 9 August 2008 (UTC) · Public domainOrange’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Orange at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orange’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orange’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Orange feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orange’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orange
79% 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 Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA.
Living with Orange’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orange from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orange and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Orange yet.
Climates most like Orange’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange, VA | 25° | 87° | 44" | 16" |
| Middletown, DE | 25° | 87° | 45" | 20" |
| Carneys Point, NJ | 26° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Milford, OH | 23° | 87° | 45" | 16" |
| Overland, MO | 23° | 88° | 42" | 17" |
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 Orange averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Orange compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orange’s place among Virginia’s.
Orange weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orange’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 2.9" | 4.6" | 9 | 4 | 29° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 27° | 2.6" | 5.6" | 8 | 5 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 3.6" | 2.7" | 10 | 2 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 3.3" | 3.2" | 8 | 3 | 29° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 44.1" | 16.4" | 111 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Orange’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 Orange’s center.
- Snow: Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, 1.1 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 Orange’s climate
What is the weather like in Orange?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orange in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Orange get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orange?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Orange?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 204 frost-free days, at Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA.
What growing zone is Orange in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orange?
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 Orange getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orange.
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.