Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass · Photo: Rob Tucher, Photographer · Public domainIn Shipman, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 27°. A year here swings 60° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 67% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Shipman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shipman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shipman’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Shipman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tye Rvr 1 Se, VA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shipman’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 46 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shipman
78% 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 Tye Rvr 1 Se, VA.
Living with Shipman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shipman from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shipman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shipman yet.
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 Shipman averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Shipman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shipman’s place among Virginia’s.
Shipman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shipman’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 27° | 3.4" | 30° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 2.8" | 30° – 47° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 3.7" | 40° – 57° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 3.6" | 52° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 4.3" | 59° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.6" | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.9" | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 71° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 58° | 4.8" | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 54° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 3.6" | 41° – 52° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 3.7" | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 46.3" |
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 Shipman’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 Shipman’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tye Rvr 1 Se, VA, 8 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 Shipman’s climate
What is the weather like in Shipman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 27°. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shipman in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How hot does it get in Shipman?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Tye Rvr 1 Se, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Shipman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 193 frost-free days, at Tye Rvr 1 Se, VA.
What growing zone is Shipman in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shipman?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Shipman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shipman.
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.