Photo: Mark Levisay · CC BY 2.0Weather without surprises: Stanley keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Stanley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stanley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stanley’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Stanley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Luray 5 E, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stanley’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Luray 5 E, VA, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stanley
85% of the work is heating. 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 Luray 5 E, VA.
Living with Stanley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stanley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stanley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Stanley yet.
Climates most like Stanley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley, VA | 24° | 85° | 43" | 19" |
| Jackson, OH | 23° | 85° | 44" | 21" |
| South Farmingdale, NY | 24° | 85° | 44" | 19" |
| Moundsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 43" | 16" |
| Lititz, PA | 22° | 86° | 45" | 21" |
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 Stanley averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Stanley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stanley’s place among Virginia’s.
Stanley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stanley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Luray 5 E, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 2.9" | 6.1" | 10 | 4 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 2.3" | 2.7" | 8 | 4 | 27° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 3.4" | 6.2" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 3.1" | 3.0" | 10 | 2 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 43.0" | 18.6" | 123 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Stanley’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 Stanley’s center.
- Snow: Luray 5 E, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Luray 5 E, VA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 330 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 Stanley’s climate
What is the weather like in Stanley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stanley in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Stanley get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Luray 5 E, VA, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Stanley?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Luray 5 E, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Stanley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 179 frost-free days, at Luray 5 E, VA.
What growing zone is Stanley in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stanley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Stanley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stanley.
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.