Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0July in Tazewell stays fresher than in 84% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 23° on average. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 58°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 70% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Tazewell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tazewell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tazewell’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Tazewell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tazewell’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burkes Garden, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tazewell
91% 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 Bluefield Mercer Co Airport.
Living with Tazewell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tazewell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tazewell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tazewell yet.
Climates most like Tazewell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell, VA | 23° | 82° | 47" | 47" |
| Tiverton, RI | 23° | 81° | 48" | 38" |
| Chelsea, MA | 21° | 82° | 48" | 49" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| East Moriches, NY | 24° | 82° | 46" | 32" |
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 Tazewell averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Tazewell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tazewell’s place among Virginia’s.
Tazewell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tazewell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burkes Garden, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 23° | 3.7" | 13.2" | 15 | 12 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 3.5" | 11.4" | 13 | 10 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.2" | 9.1" | 14 | 6 | 35° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 4.2" | 1.3" | 13 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 2.9" | 2.2" | 10 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 3.7" | 9.1" | 14 | 9 | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 47.0" | 46.9" | 161 | 40 |
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 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tazewell’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 Tazewell’s center.
- Snow: Burkes Garden, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Tazewell’s climate
What is the weather like in Tazewell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tazewell in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Tazewell get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Burkes Garden, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tazewell?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Bluefield Mercer Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Tazewell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 182 frost-free days, at Bluefield Mercer Co Airport.
What growing zone is Tazewell in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tazewell?
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 Tazewell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tazewell.
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.