Ripplemead’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ripplemead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ripplemead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ripplemead’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Ripplemead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ripplemead’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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ripplemead
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 Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA.
Living with Ripplemead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ripplemead from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ripplemead and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ripplemead yet.
Climates most like Ripplemead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripplemead, VA | 25° | 85° | 41" | 23" |
| Munhall, PA | 22° | 85° | 41" | 25" |
| Bellbrook, OH | 22° | 85° | 43" | 20" |
| South Farmingdale, NY | 24° | 85° | 44" | 19" |
| Charles Town, WV | 23° | 87° | 41" | 23" |
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 Ripplemead averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Ripplemead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ripplemead’s place among Virginia’s.
Ripplemead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ripplemead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 2.9" | 6.5" | 11 | 6 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 2.6" | 6.6" | 9 | 7 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 3.5" | 4.0" | 12 | 3 | 38° – 54° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 3.6" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 33° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 3.1" | 4.6" | 11 | 4 | 27° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 40.5" | 22.7" | 133 | 20 |
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 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ripplemead’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 Ripplemead’s center.
- Snow: Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Ripplemead’s climate
What is the weather like in Ripplemead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ripplemead in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Ripplemead get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ripplemead?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Ripplemead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 171 frost-free days, at Pearisburg 4 Sse, VA.
What growing zone is Ripplemead 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 Ripplemead?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ripplemead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ripplemead.
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.