Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0Afternoon heat in Wise trails that of 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 84% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.6°, most of all in December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Wise at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wise’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wise’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Wise feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wise 1se, VA, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wise’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 Wise 1se, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 162 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wise
89% 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 Wise 1se, VA.
Living with Wise’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wise from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wise and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wise yet.
Climates most like Wise’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise, VA | 24° | 80° | 50" | 47" |
| Sandwich, MA | 23° | 81° | 50" | 37" |
| Tiverton, RI | 23° | 81° | 48" | 38" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
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 Wise averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Wise compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wise’s place among Virginia’s.
Wise weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wise’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wise 1se, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.9" | 12.8" | 15 | 7 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 4.2" | 11.6" | 15 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 4.6" | 8.6" | 15 | 3 | 36° – 54° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.4" | 1.7" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 77° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.9" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 4.5" | 9.6" | 15 | 5 | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 50.1" | 47.1" | 162 | 20 |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Wise’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 Wise’s center.
- Snow: Wise 1se, VA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wise 1se, VA, 1.3 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 Wise’s climate
What is the weather like in Wise?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wise in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 96 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 25°.
How much snow does Wise get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Wise 1se, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 12 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wise?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 62°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Wise 1se, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Wise?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 175 frost-free days, at Wise 1se, VA.
What growing zone is Wise 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 Wise?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wise getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wise.
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.