Photo: bob · CC BY-SA 3.0In Scottsville, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. Precipitation peaks in September and eases off in February. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 68% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April, May, September and October, with highs of 70–80°.
A year in Scottsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Scottsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Scottsville’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Scottsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Palmyra 3s, VA, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Scottsville’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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Charlottesville 2w, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Scottsville
81% 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 Palmyra 3s, VA.
Living with Scottsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
180 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Scottsville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Scottsville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Scottsville yet.
Climates most like Scottsville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsville, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 17" |
| Edgewood, MD | 26° | 88° | 46" | 17" |
| Wilmington, DE | 25° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Carneys Point, NJ | 26° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Chester, PA | 26° | 88° | 46" | 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 Scottsville averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Scottsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Scottsville’s place among Virginia’s.
Scottsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Scottsville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charlottesville 2w, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.2" | 3.9" | 10 | 4 | 30° – 43° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 2.8" | 5.9" | 9 | 5 | 30° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 3.8" | 3.8" | 11 | 2 | 41° – 57° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.6" | 3.2" | 10 | 3 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 45.0" | 17.0" | 126 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Scottsville’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 Scottsville’s center.
- Snow: Charlottesville 2w, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Palmyra 3s, VA, 12 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 Scottsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Scottsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Scottsville in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Scottsville get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Charlottesville 2w, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Scottsville?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Palmyra 3s, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Scottsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 180 frost-free days, at Palmyra 3s, VA.
What growing zone is Scottsville 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 Scottsville?
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 Scottsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Scottsville.
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.