Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY-SA 3.0Oceana gets more rain and snow than 77% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year
July afternoons average 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 60°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 61% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 22, with the first autumn frost due around October 24.
A year in Oceana at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oceana’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oceana’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Oceana feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oceana 2 Se, WV, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oceana’s center in zone 7a: 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oceana 2 Se, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 158 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oceana
85% of the work is heating. 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 Oceana 2 Se, WV.
Living with Oceana’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oceana from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oceana and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oceana yet.
Climates most like Oceana’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceana, WV | 24° | 85° | 48" | 21" |
| Glen Cove, NY | 26° | 85° | 47" | 19" |
| Oceanport, NJ | 26° | 85° | 47" | 25" |
| Erlanger, KY | 23° | 85° | 47" | 23" |
| North Vernon, IN | 23° | 86° | 48" | 17" |
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 Oceana averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Oceana compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oceana’s place among West Virginia’s.
Oceana weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oceana’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oceana 2 Se, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.7" | 7.1" | 16 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 3.5" | 5.5" | 14 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 4.3" | 2.3" | 14 | 39° – 55° |
| April | 68° | 41° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 14 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 57° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 11 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 28° | 4.1" | 5.2" | 15 | 27° – 49° |
| Year | 66° | 43° | 48.3" | 20.9" | 158 |
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 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Oceana’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 Oceana’s center.
- Snow: Oceana 2 Se, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oceana 2 Se, WV, 1.3 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 Oceana’s climate
What is the weather like in Oceana?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oceana in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 123 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 Oceana get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Oceana 2 Se, WV, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Oceana?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Oceana 2 Se, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Oceana?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 184 frost-free days, at Oceana 2 Se, WV.
What growing zone is Oceana in?
Zone 7a 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 Oceana?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oceana getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oceana.
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.