Mt. Torry Furnace · Photo: Philip N. Wheeler · CC BY-SA 3.0For weather, Sherando is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. The wettest month is September; the driest is February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 69% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Sherando at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sherando’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sherando’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Sherando feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sherando’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 Staunton Wtp, 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 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sherando
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Waynesboro Wtp, VA.
Living with Sherando’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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. 8.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sherando from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sherando and its neighbors
Lyndhurst the hottest July afternoons (85°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sherando’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherando, VA | 24° | 83° | 45" | 22" |
| Copiague, NY | 26° | 83° | 44" | 26" |
| East Lyme, CT | 22° | 83° | 46" | 25" |
| Wellston, OH | 23° | 85° | 44" | 23" |
| Pleasantville, NJ | 28° | 84° | 46" | 17" |
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 Sherando averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Sherando compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sherando’s place among Virginia’s.
Sherando weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sherando’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Staunton Wtp, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.2" | 5.4" | 9 | 5 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 27° | 2.4" | 6.8" | 7 | 6 | 27° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 3.7" | 4.1" | 9 | 3 | 37° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 28° | 3.4" | 4.8" | 9 | 4 | 27° – 47° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 44.8" | 21.6" | 119 | 19 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sherando’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 Sherando’s center.
- Snow: Staunton Wtp, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Sherando’s climate
What is the weather like in Sherando?
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 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sherando in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Sherando get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Staunton Wtp, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sherando?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Waynesboro Wtp, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Sherando?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Waynesboro Wtp, VA.
What growing zone is Sherando in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sherando?
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 Sherando getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sherando.
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.