Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY-SA 3.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Handley sits near the middle of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 26°. The wettest month is July; the driest is November. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 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 Handley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Handley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Handley’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Handley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at London Locks, WV, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Handley’s center in zone 7a: 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 32 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Charleston Yeager Airport, 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 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Handley
80% 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 London Locks, WV.
Living with Handley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Handley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (95%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Handley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Handley yet.
Climates most like Handley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handley, WV | 26° | 86° | 46" | 32" |
| Keansburg, NJ | 26° | 86° | 47" | 32" |
| Mount Vernon, NY | 26° | 86° | 47" | 33" |
| Clarksburg, MD | 25° | 86° | 45" | 33" |
| Riverside, CT | 25° | 85° | 47" | 34" |
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 Handley averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in April (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Handley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Handley’s place among West Virginia’s.
Handley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Handley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charleston Yeager Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 3.2" | 10.3" | 15 | 7 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 3.1" | 7.7" | 14 | 5 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 4.2" | 5.9" | 15 | 3 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 35° | 2.9" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 3.7" | 5.0" | 14 | 3 | 28° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 46.2" | 31.5" | 151 | 19 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Handley’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 Handley’s center.
- Snow: Charleston Yeager Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: London Locks, WV, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower; 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 Handley’s climate
What is the weather like in Handley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Handley in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 90 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Handley get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Charleston Yeager Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Handley?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (London Locks, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Handley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 209 frost-free days, at London Locks, WV.
What growing zone is Handley in?
Zone 7a 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 Handley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Handley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Handley.
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.