Photo: Valerius Tygart · CC BY-SA 3.0Philippi gets more rain and snow than 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 83°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 6, with the first autumn frost due around October 13.
A year in Philippi at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Philippi’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Philippi’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Philippi 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 6 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Belington, WV, 11 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Philippi’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Philippi, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Philippi
91% 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 Belington, WV.
Living with Philippi’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Philippi from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (91%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Philippi and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Philippi yet.
Climates most like Philippi’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippi, WV | 22° | 83° | 49" | 47" |
| Quincy, MA | 21° | 82° | 49" | 51" |
| Lincoln, RI | 20° | 83° | 50" | 48" |
| Ridgefield, CT | 19° | 83° | 50" | 49" |
| Lewisboro, NY | 20° | 84° | 49" | 49" |
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 Philippi averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Philippi compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Philippi’s place among West Virginia’s.
Philippi weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Philippi’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Philippi, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 22° | 3.8" | 16.3" | 17 | 14 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 3.4" | 9.1" | 13 | 9 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 4.2" | 8.7" | 15 | 5 | 35° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.5" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 12 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.9" | 9.0" | 15 | 8 | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 49.1" | 46.5" | 155 | 38 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Philippi’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 Philippi’s center.
- Snow: Philippi, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Belington, WV, 11 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher; 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 Philippi’s climate
What is the weather like in Philippi?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Philippi in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 144 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 23°.
How much snow does Philippi get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Philippi, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 38 days a year.
How hot does it get in Philippi?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Belington, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Philippi?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 159 frost-free days, at Belington, WV.
What growing zone is Philippi in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Philippi?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Philippi getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Philippi.
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.