New Deal Resources in Holly River State Park Historic District · Photo: Aparkswv · CC BY-SA 4.0Pickens’ winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 77°
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 20°.
A year in Pickens at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pickens’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pickens’ place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Pickens feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pickens 2 N, WV, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pickens’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 62 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and November the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pickens
94% 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 Pickens 2 N, WV.
Living with Pickens’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 19.
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 Pickens 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 →Pickens and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pickens yet.
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 Pickens averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Pickens compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pickens’ place among West Virginia’s.
Pickens weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pickens’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 4.8" | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 4.6" | 19° – 40° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 5.2" | 31° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 5.1" | 42° – 54° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 6.3" | 51° – 65° |
| June | 74° | 55° | 6.0" | 60° – 68° |
| July | 77° | 59° | 6.5" | 63° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 5.0" | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 4.4" | 57° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 4.2" | 48° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 4.1" | 34° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 5.2" | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 58° | 40° | 61.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Pickens’ 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 Pickens’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pickens 2 N, WV, 1.9 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 Pickens’ climate
What is the weather like in Pickens?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pickens in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 123 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 20°.
How hot does it get in Pickens?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Pickens 2 N, WV.
When is the first and last frost in Pickens?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 176 frost-free days, at Pickens 2 N, WV.
What growing zone is Pickens in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pickens?
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 Pickens getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pickens.
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.