Photo: MarkMcCain · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers in Bluefield are cooler than in 85% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 23°. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Garden planting can start around April 21; autumn frost returns near October 22.
A year in Bluefield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bluefield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bluefield’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Bluefield 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, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bluefield’s center in zone 6b: 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bluefield, WV, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bluefield
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 Bluefield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bluefield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bluefield and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bluefield yet.
Climates most like Bluefield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield, WV | 23° | 81° | 42" | 40" |
| East Moriches, NY | 24° | 82° | 46" | 32" |
| Charlestown, RI | 24° | 80° | 46" | 35" |
| Lorain, OH | 22° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
| Park Forest Village, PA | 20° | 82° | 43" | 44" |
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 Bluefield averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Bluefield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bluefield’s place among West Virginia’s.
Bluefield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bluefield’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bluefield, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 3.2" | 9.9" | 17 | 12 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 3.0" | 9.9" | 15 | 10 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 31° | 3.9" | 7.5" | 15 | 5 | 35° – 53° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 14 | 1 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 32° | 2.6" | 1.7" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.2" | 8.7" | 16 | 8 | 24° – 48° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 42.4" | 39.7" | 164 | 38 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bluefield’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 Bluefield’s center.
- Snow: Bluefield, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Bluefield’s climate
What is the weather like in Bluefield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bluefield 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 Bluefield get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Bluefield, WV, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 38 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bluefield?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Bluefield Mercer Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bluefield?
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 Bluefield in?
Zone 6b 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 Bluefield?
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 Bluefield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bluefield.
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.