Photo: Ken Thomas · Public domainSummers, winters and rain in Gauley Bridge all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 59° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 66% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Gauley Bridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gauley Bridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gauley Bridge’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Gauley Bridge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gauley Bridge’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clendenin, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 146 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gauley Bridge
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV.
Living with Gauley Bridge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gauley Bridge from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (93%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gauley Bridge and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gauley Bridge yet.
Climates most like Gauley Bridge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gauley Bridge, WV | 25° | 84° | 46" | 18" |
| Oyster Bay, NY | 25° | 84° | 46" | 19" |
| Bargaintown, NJ | 27° | 84° | 46" | 17" |
| Cheviot, OH | 22° | 85° | 46" | 16" |
| Greensburg, IN | 22° | 85° | 46" | 13" |
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 Gauley Bridge averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Gauley Bridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gauley Bridge’s place among West Virginia’s.
Gauley Bridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gauley Bridge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clendenin, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.2" | 6.1" | 16 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.1" | 3.2" | 12 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 4.2" | 4.0" | 14 | 38° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 14 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 51° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.0" | 0.7" | 12 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 3.7" | 3.8" | 13 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 46.3" | 17.9" | 146 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gauley Bridge’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 Gauley Bridge’s center.
- Snow: Clendenin, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Gauley Bridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Gauley Bridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gauley Bridge in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 113 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 Gauley Bridge get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Clendenin, WV, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Gauley Bridge?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Gauley Bridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 181 frost-free days, at Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV.
What growing zone is Gauley Bridge in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gauley Bridge?
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 Gauley Bridge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gauley Bridge.
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.