Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 3.0Birch River gets more rain and snow than 85% of U.S. towns: 50 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 73% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, 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 Birch River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Birch River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Birch River’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Birch River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Webster Springs 8 N, WV, 18 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Birch River’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gassaway, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Birch River
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 Webster Springs 8 N, WV.
Living with Birch River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Birch River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Birch River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Birch River yet.
Climates most like Birch River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch River, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 17" |
| Dighton, MA | 21° | 83° | 50" | 26" |
| Pottsville, PA | 19° | 84° | 50" | 21" |
| Westbrook, CT | 22° | 83° | 47" | 25" |
| Waynesville, NC | 25° | 82° | 54" | 11" |
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 Birch River averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Birch River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Birch River’s place among West Virginia’s.
Birch River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Birch River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gassaway, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 3.6" | 5.4" | 16 | 24° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 3.3" | 4.1" | 14 | 24° – 42° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.3" | 3.3" | 14 | 37° – 54° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 14 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 49° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 54° – 69° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 3.2" | 0.8" | 12 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 3.9" | 3.5" | 16 | 25° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 50.3" | 17.3" | 159 |
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 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Birch River’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 Birch River’s center.
- Snow: Gassaway, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Webster Springs 8 N, WV, 18 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 Birch River’s climate
What is the weather like in Birch River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Birch River in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Birch River get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Gassaway, WV, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Birch River?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Webster Springs 8 N, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Birch River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 160 frost-free days, at Webster Springs 8 N, WV.
What growing zone is Birch River in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Birch River?
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 Birch River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Birch River.
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.