Photo: Nyttend · Public domainWet weather: 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Pennington Gap, more than in 87% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 85°. In January, nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.5°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Pennington Gap at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pennington Gap’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pennington Gap’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Pennington Gap feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pennington Gap, VA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pennington Gap’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pennington Gap, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pennington Gap
83% 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 Pennington Gap, VA.
Living with Pennington Gap’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pennington Gap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pennington Gap and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pennington Gap yet.
Climates most like Pennington Gap’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington Gap, VA | 26° | 85° | 51" | 9.3" |
| Bardstown, KY | 25° | 87° | 51" | 12" |
| Forked River, NJ | 26° | 85° | 46" | 10" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
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 Pennington Gap averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Pennington Gap compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pennington Gap’s place among Virginia’s.
Pennington Gap weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pennington Gap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pennington Gap, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 4.3" | 3.5" | 11 | 3 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 4.4" | 2.8" | 10 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 34° | 4.9" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 42° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 33° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 5.1" | 1.8" | 11 | 1 | 28° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 51.4" | 9.3" | 126 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Pennington Gap’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 Pennington Gap’s center.
- Snow: Pennington Gap, VA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pennington Gap, VA, 1.4 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 Pennington Gap’s climate
What is the weather like in Pennington Gap?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pennington Gap in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Pennington Gap get?
About 9.3 inches in a normal winter at Pennington Gap, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pennington Gap?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Pennington Gap, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Pennington Gap?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Pennington Gap, VA.
What growing zone is Pennington Gap in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pennington Gap?
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 Pennington Gap getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pennington Gap.
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.