Photo: Kubigula · CC BY-SA 3.0Waverly gets more rain and snow than 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 29°. Its July heat outdoes that of 75% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 71–82°, belongs to April, May, September and October.
A year in Waverly at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waverly’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waverly’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Waverly feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wakefield 1nw, VA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waverly’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wakefield 1nw, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Waverly
71% 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 Wakefield 1nw, VA.
Living with Waverly’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waverly from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waverly and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Waverly yet.
Climates most like Waverly’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 6.4" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
| Forest City, NC | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Pocahontas, AR | 28° | 90° | 50" | 6.3" |
| Bowling Green, KY | 28° | 89° | 51" | 8.5" |
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 Waverly averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Waverly compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waverly’s place among Virginia’s.
Waverly weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Waverly’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wakefield 1nw, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 29° | 3.7" | 3.5" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 31° | 2.9" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 54° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 49.1" | 6.4" | 121 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 54°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Waverly’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 Waverly’s center.
- Snow: Wakefield 1nw, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wakefield 1nw, VA, 6 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 Waverly’s climate
What is the weather like in Waverly?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waverly in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 88 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Waverly get?
About 6.4 inches in a normal winter at Wakefield 1nw, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Waverly?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Wakefield 1nw, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Waverly?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 200 frost-free days, at Wakefield 1nw, VA.
What growing zone is Waverly in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waverly?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Waverly getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Waverly.
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.