Photo: Joe Ravi · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers, winters and rain in Roanoke all run close to those of most U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 27° on average. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 68% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Roanoke at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Roanoke’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Roanoke’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Roanoke feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roanoke Rgnl Airport, 2.8 miles from the city’s center point, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Roanoke’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Roanoke Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Roanoke
74% 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 Roanoke Rgnl Airport.
Living with Roanoke’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 53 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Roanoke from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Roanoke and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Roanoke in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Roanoke’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VA | 27° | 88° | 44" | 15" |
| Bensville, MD | 27° | 88° | 44" | 13" |
| Milford, DE | 27° | 88° | 46" | 13" |
| Carneys Point, NJ | 26° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Roanoke averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Roanoke compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Roanoke’s place among Virginia’s.
Roanoke weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Roanoke’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roanoke Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.2" | 4.3" | 10 | 3 | 30° – 43° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 2.8" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 3.6" | 2.3" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.2" | 3.2" | 9 | 2 | 31° – 49° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 43.8" | 14.8" | 121 | 11 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Roanoke’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 Roanoke’s center.
- Snow: Roanoke Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roanoke Rgnl Airport, 2.8 miles from the city’s center point, 120 ft higher; 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 Roanoke’s climate
What is the weather like in Roanoke?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Roanoke in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Roanoke get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Roanoke Rgnl Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Roanoke?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Roanoke Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Roanoke?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 210 frost-free days, at Roanoke Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Roanoke in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Roanoke?
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 Roanoke getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Roanoke.
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.