Wolf Creek Bridge · Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives softly in Rocky Gap, cooler than in 74% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 23°. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 10.
A year in Rocky Gap at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rocky Gap’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rocky Gap’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Rocky Gap feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bland, VA, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rocky Gap’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Princeton, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rocky Gap
93% 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 Bland, VA.
Living with Rocky Gap’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rocky Gap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rocky Gap and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rocky Gap yet.
Climates most like Rocky Gap’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Gap, VA | 23° | 83° | 41" | 24" |
| Jefferson Hills, PA | 22° | 84° | 41" | 21" |
| Wilmington, OH | 21° | 84° | 44" | 27" |
| Copiague, NY | 26° | 83° | 44" | 26" |
| New London, CT | 23° | 81° | 45" | 25" |
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 Rocky Gap averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Rocky Gap compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rocky Gap’s place among Virginia’s.
Rocky Gap weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rocky Gap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Princeton, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 23° | 3.1" | 7.5" | 14 | 7 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 2.8" | 5.7" | 12 | 7 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 3.7" | 4.9" | 12 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 13 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 2.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 3.1" | 4.5" | 12 | 4 | 25° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 40.6" | 23.9" | 141 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rocky Gap’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 Rocky Gap’s center.
- Snow: Princeton, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bland, VA, 10 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 Rocky Gap’s climate
What is the weather like in Rocky Gap?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rocky Gap in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Rocky Gap get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Princeton, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rocky Gap?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Bland, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Rocky Gap?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 157 frost-free days, at Bland, VA.
What growing zone is Rocky Gap in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rocky Gap?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rocky Gap getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rocky Gap.
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.