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PoquosonWaterfrontPhoto: Chrisfortier at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Poquoson · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Poquoson has milder winter nights than 75% of U.S. towns

Expect July afternoons of about 88°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 74% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 69–80°.

Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns#6Mildest winters  of 225 in VA
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns#2Least snow  of 225 in VA
All VA rankings →

A year in Poquoson at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan49°32°
Feb52°33°
Mar59°40° Last frost ~Mar 24
Apr69°49°
May77°58° 1 day 90°+
Jun84°67° 6 days 90°+
Jul88°71° 13 days 90°+Wettest
Aug86°70° 8 days 90°+
Sep80°65° 2 days 90°+
Oct71°53°
Nov now61°43° First frost ~Nov 15
Dec53°36°

What stands out about Poquoson’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Poquoson’s place in Virginia beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Poquoson feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
51° / 34°
Snow is rare
Spring
68° / 49°
Last frost around Mar 24
Summer
86° / 69°
30 days reach 90°
Fall
71° / 54°
First frost around Nov 15
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 238 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Langley Afb, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

52
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
5th fewest of 225 in Virginia
Fewer freezing nights than 78% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
30
days that reach 90°
118th most of 225 in Virginia
More 90° days than 63% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
50th fewest of 225 in Virginia
Fewer 100° days than 56% of U.S. towns
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Poquoson’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

15
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

13
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 3 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Langley Afb, VA, 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 110 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
22nd wettest of 225 in Virginia
Wetter than 74% of U.S. towns
2.7"
Snow in a normal winter
2nd least snowy of 225 in Virginia
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns
3 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
14th fewest of 205 in Virginia
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 67% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

2"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Poquoson

68% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

3,461 heating degree daysLess heating than 74% of U.S. towns
1,592 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 76% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Langley Afb, VA.

Living here

Living with Poquoson’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

238 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 15.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Poquoson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Poquoson and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Poquoson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Newport News: January low 32°, July high 89°Bethel Manor: January low 32°, July high 89°Norfolk: January low 33°, July high 88°Portsmouth: January low 33°, July high 89°Hampton: January low 32°, July high 89°Poquoson: January low 32°, July high 88°PoquosonHampton
ColderMilder32° to 33°
Poquoson31.9°
Hampton32.4° about the same

Climates most like Poquoson’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Poquoson, VA32°88°48"2.7"
Asheboro, NC31°89°47"4.6"
Parker, SC32°89°50"1.9"
Dallas, GA32°89°51"3.8"
Newport, TN28°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Poquoson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).

+1.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 57% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.7°now 42°, was 41°
Spring+1.3°now 58°, was 57°
Summer+1.1°now 78°, was 77°
Fall+0.9°now 62°, was 61°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Poquoson compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Poquoson’s place among Virginia’s.

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns61st hottest of 225 in Virginia
Winter cold32° January low
Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns6th mildest of 225 in Virginia
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 74% of U.S. towns22nd wettest of 225 in Virginia
Snow2.7" a winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns2nd least snowy of 225 in Virginia
Hot days30 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 63% of U.S. towns118th most of 225 in Virginia
Freezing nights52 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 78% of U.S. towns5th fewest of 225 in Virginia
Growing season238 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 87% of U.S. towns4th longest of 225 in Virginia
Month by month

Poquoson weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Poquoson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Langley Afb, VA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January49°32°3.4"2.4"11235° – 47°
February52°33°2.9"0.1"9132° – 50°
March59°40°4.0"0.1"11044° – 58°
April69°49°3.5"0.0"9054° – 65°
May77°58°3.7"0.0"11062° – 73°
June84°67°4.2"0.0"9071° – 80°
July88°71°5.3"0.0"10075° – 83°
August86°70°5.0"0.0"8074° – 81°
September80°65°5.1"0.0"9069° – 78°
October71°53°3.9"0.0"7058° – 69°
November61°43°3.1"0.0"8046° – 56°
December53°36°3.5"0.1"10034° – 56°
Year69°51°47.7"2.7"1103
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Poquoson’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 Poquoson’s center.
  • Snow: Langley Afb, VA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Langley Afb, VA, 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 Poquoson’s climate

What is the weather like in Poquoson?

A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Poquoson in winter?

January nights average 32°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.

How much snow does Poquoson get?

About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Langley Afb, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.

How hot does it get in Poquoson?

July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 71°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Langley Afb, VA).

When is the first and last frost in Poquoson?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 238 frost-free days, at Langley Afb, VA.

What growing zone is Poquoson in?

Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.

What is the best time of year to visit Poquoson?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Poquoson getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Poquoson.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.