Photo: DanRVA · CC BY-SA 4.0Midwinter lows in Virginia Beach stay above those of 75% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 87°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 55°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 75% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from April to June and September to October, with highs of 68–83°.
A year in Virginia Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Virginia Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Virginia Beach’s place in Virginia State beside it.
What a year in Virginia Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oceana Nas, VA, 2.6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Virginia Beach’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oceana Nas, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Virginia Beach
69% 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 Oceana Nas, VA.
Living with Virginia Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 203 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Virginia Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Virginia Beach and its neighbors
Chesapeake has the coldest January nights next door (31°, 1° colder) and Chesapeake the hottest July afternoons (89°, 1° 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 Virginia Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 32° | 87° | 48" | 3.4" |
| Asheboro, NC | 31° | 89° | 47" | 4.6" |
| Parker, SC | 32° | 89° | 50" | 1.9" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Dallas, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
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 Virginia Beach averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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. In a city of 454,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Virginia Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Virginia Beach’s place among Virginia State’s.
Virginia Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Virginia Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oceana Nas, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 32° | 3.4" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| February | 52° | 34° | 2.9" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 50° |
| March | 59° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 76° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 87° | 71° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 65° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 53° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| November | 61° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 56° |
| Year | 69° | 51° | 47.8" | 3.4" | 122 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Virginia Beach’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 Virginia Beach’s center.
- Snow: Oceana Nas, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oceana Nas, VA, 2.6 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Virginia Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Virginia Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Virginia Beach in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 50 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Virginia Beach get?
About 3.4 inches in a normal winter at Oceana Nas, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Virginia Beach?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 71°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Oceana Nas, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Virginia Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 230 frost-free days, at Oceana Nas, VA.
What growing zone is Virginia Beach in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Virginia Beach?
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 Virginia Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Virginia Beach.
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.