Guerrant House · Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0The climate in Riner sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 24°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 70% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Riner at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Riner’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Riner’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Riner feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Christiansburg, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Riner’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Willis, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Riner
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Christiansburg, VA.
Living with Riner’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Riner from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Riner and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Riner yet.
Climates most like Riner’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riner, VA | 24° | 83° | 42" | 22" |
| Copiague, NY | 26° | 83° | 44" | 26" |
| Jefferson Hills, PA | 22° | 84° | 41" | 21" |
| Wellston, OH | 23° | 85° | 44" | 23" |
| Fairmont, WV | 23° | 84° | 46" | 24" |
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 Riner averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Riner compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Riner’s place among Virginia’s.
Riner weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Riner’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Willis, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.3" | 6.7" | 10 | 5 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 2.7" | 5.6" | 9 | 5 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 55° | 33° | 3.6" | 4.9" | 10 | 2 | 37° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 56° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 3.1" | 3.5" | 10 | 3 | 27° – 47° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 42.4" | 21.8" | 122 | 15 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Riner’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 Riner’s center.
- Snow: Willis, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Christiansburg, VA, 5 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 Riner’s climate
What is the weather like in Riner?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Riner in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Riner get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Willis, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 15 days a year.
How hot does it get in Riner?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Christiansburg, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Riner?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 186 frost-free days, at Christiansburg, VA.
What growing zone is Riner in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Riner?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Riner getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Riner.
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.