Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0Parksley’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Parksley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parksley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parksley’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Parksley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 225 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parksley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Parksley
74% 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 Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA.
Living with Parksley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
225 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Parksley from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parksley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Parksley yet.
Climates most like Parksley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parksley, VA | 29° | 88° | 46" | 8.4" |
| Walkertown, NC | 29° | 88° | 45" | 7.1" |
| Greeneville, TN | 28° | 87° | 47" | 7.7" |
| Mount Vernon, IN | 25° | 88° | 47" | 8.4" |
| Penn Wynne, PA | 25° | 87° | 47" | 7.6" |
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 Parksley averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Parksley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parksley’s place among Virginia’s.
Parksley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parksley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 29° | 3.5" | 3.5" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 30° | 3.1" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 37° | 4.1" | 0.7" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| April | 66° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 64° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 59° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 33° | 3.7" | 1.7" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 67° | 48° | 45.7" | 8.4" | 119 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 53°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Parksley’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 Parksley’s center.
- Snow: Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA, 15 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 Parksley’s climate
What is the weather like in Parksley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parksley in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Parksley get?
About 8.4 inches in a normal winter at Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Parksley?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 69°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Parksley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 225 frost-free days, at Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA.
What growing zone is Parksley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Parksley?
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 Parksley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parksley.
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.