Photo: WVhybrid at English Wikipedia · CC BY 2.5Summers in Marlinton are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 20°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 62° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 62% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Marlinton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Marlinton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marlinton’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Marlinton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 14. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marlinton, WV, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Buckeye, WV, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Marlinton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckeye, WV, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; May is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 150 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Marlinton
92% 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 Buckeye, WV.
Living with Marlinton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marlinton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Marlinton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Marlinton yet.
Climates most like Marlinton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlinton, WV | 20° | 81° | 44" | 37" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Aurora, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 45" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| Hopkinton, RI | 20° | 82° | 47" | 35" |
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 Marlinton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Marlinton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marlinton’s place among West Virginia’s.
Marlinton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marlinton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckeye, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 20° | 3.4" | 8.7" | 14 | 12 | 21° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 22° | 2.9" | 10.6" | 12 | 11 | 21° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 28° | 4.1" | 8.3" | 13 | 5 | 34° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 37° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 14 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 29° | 3.0" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 23° | 3.6" | 7.2" | 13 | 8 | 23° – 44° |
| Year | 62° | 39° | 43.8" | 37.4" | 150 | 38 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Marlinton’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 Marlinton’s center.
- Snow: Buckeye, WV.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Buckeye, WV, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Marlinton, WV, 0.5 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 Marlinton’s climate
What is the weather like in Marlinton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Marlinton in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Marlinton get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Buckeye, WV, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 38 days a year.
How hot does it get in Marlinton?
July, with a typical high of 81°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Buckeye, WV.
When is the first and last frost in Marlinton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 161 frost-free days, at Buckeye, WV.
What growing zone is Marlinton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Marlinton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Marlinton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marlinton.
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.