Belleview · Photo: MarmadukePercy · CC BY-SA 3.0In Ridgeway, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 28° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 60°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 71% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Ridgeway at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ridgeway’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ridgeway’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Ridgeway 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 24 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Martinsville Fltr Plt, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ridgeway’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Eden, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; September 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 Ridgeway
80% 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 Martinsville Fltr Plt, VA.
Living with Ridgeway’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ridgeway from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ridgeway and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ridgeway yet.
Climates most like Ridgeway’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway, VA | 28° | 88° | 47" | 4.5" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Central City, KY | 27° | 89° | 49" | 4.4" |
| Hillcrest Heights, MD | 27° | 88° | 45" | 5.8" |
| Springdale, AR | 26° | 89° | 48" | 6.5" |
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 Ridgeway averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller 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 Ridgeway compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ridgeway’s place among Virginia’s.
Ridgeway weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ridgeway’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eden, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 28° | 3.8" | 1.6" | 9 | 1 | 31° – 44° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 3.0" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 33° – 48° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 59° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| November | 60° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 30° | 3.6" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 47.1" | 4.5" | 119 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ridgeway’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 Ridgeway’s center.
- Snow: Eden, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Martinsville Fltr Plt, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Ridgeway’s climate
What is the weather like in Ridgeway?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ridgeway in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Ridgeway get?
About 4.5 inches in a normal winter at Eden, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ridgeway?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Martinsville Fltr Plt, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Ridgeway?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 179 frost-free days, at Martinsville Fltr Plt, VA.
What growing zone is Ridgeway in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ridgeway?
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 Ridgeway getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ridgeway.
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.