More precipitation falls on Norton than on 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 87% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in December. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 72–81°.
A year in Norton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norton’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Norton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 69 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 173 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norton
90% 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 Elkins Randolph Co Airport.
Living with Norton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Norton yet.
Climates most like Norton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton, WV | 21° | 81° | 52" | 69" |
| Scituate, RI | 19° | 82° | 51" | 62" |
| Killingly, CT | 18° | 82° | 50" | 62" |
| Saugus, MA | 19° | 82° | 48" | 64" |
| Seabrook, NH | 18° | 81° | 48" | 62" |
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 Norton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Norton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norton’s place among West Virginia’s.
Norton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elkins Randolph Co Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 21° | 3.7" | 20.3" | 17 | 15 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 43° | 23° | 3.6" | 15.4" | 16 | 11 | 21° – 43° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 4.3" | 11.4" | 17 | 6 | 34° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 38° | 4.5" | 2.3" | 15 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 31° | 3.2" | 4.1" | 12 | 3 | 36° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 4.2" | 14.5" | 16 | 9 | 23° – 46° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 51.7" | 68.9" | 173 | 45 |
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 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Norton’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 Norton’s center.
- Snow: Elkins Randolph Co Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elkins Randolph Co Airport, 7 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 Norton’s climate
What is the weather like in Norton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norton in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Norton get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 45 days a year.
How hot does it get in Norton?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Elkins Randolph Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Norton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 159 frost-free days, at Elkins Randolph Co Airport.
What growing zone is Norton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norton?
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 Norton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norton.
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.