Couch-Artrip House · Photo: Roger B. Wise · CC BY-SA 3.0In Leon, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 24°. Only 63° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Garden planting can start around April 18; autumn frost returns near October 28.
A year in Leon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leon’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Leon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 28. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Southside 3 Nnw, WV, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Gallipolis, OH, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leon’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winfield Locks, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Leon
81% 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 Gallipolis, OH.
Living with Leon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 28.
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 Leon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Leon yet.
Climates most like Leon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon, WV | 24° | 86° | 44" | 11" |
| Millville, NJ | 25° | 87° | 46" | 12" |
| Buena Vista, VA | 26° | 87° | 45" | 11" |
| Salem, IL | 22° | 87° | 45" | 10" |
| Smyrna, DE | 26° | 87° | 45" | 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 Leon 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 Leon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leon’s place among West Virginia’s.
Leon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winfield Locks, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 24° | 3.1" | 4.1" | 12 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 3.1" | 2.7" | 11 | 24° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 4.1" | 2.6" | 12 | 39° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 70° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 57° | 34° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 28° | 3.7" | 1.3" | 13 | 27° – 47° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 44.3" | 10.7" | 132 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Leon’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 Leon’s center.
- Snow: Winfield Locks, WV.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Gallipolis, OH, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Southside 3 Nnw, WV, 1.4 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 Leon’s climate
What is the weather like in Leon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leon in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Leon get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Winfield Locks, WV, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Leon?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Gallipolis, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Leon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 192 frost-free days, at Gallipolis, OH.
What growing zone is Leon in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Leon?
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 Leon 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 Leon.
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.