Photo: Youngamerican at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Richwood gets about 100 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in October. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Richwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richwood’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Richwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Nebo 1 S, WV, 17 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richwood’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 100 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richwood 1sse, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Richwood
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 Mt Nebo 1 S, WV.
Living with Richwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Richwood yet.
Climates most like Richwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richwood, WV | 20° | 78° | 53" | 100" |
| Harpswell, ME | 15° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Busti, NY | 16° | 80° | 46" | 98" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Paxton, MA | 15° | 80° | 51" | 73" |
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 Richwood averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Richwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richwood’s place among West Virginia’s.
Richwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richwood 1sse, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 20° | 4.1" | 26.1" | 15 | 18 | 21° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 3.9" | 21.9" | 13 | 15 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 4.7" | 16.0" | 13 | 8 | 32° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 4.5" | 5.3" | 11 | 2 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 3.5" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 3.6" | 7.5" | 10 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 4.4" | 22.1" | 13 | 13 | 20° – 44° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 53.3" | 100.0" | 133 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Richwood’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 Richwood’s center.
- Snow: Richwood 1sse, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Nebo 1 S, WV, 17 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower; 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 Richwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Richwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 100 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richwood in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 136 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 Richwood get?
About 100 inches in a normal winter at Richwood 1sse, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Richwood?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Mt Nebo 1 S, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Richwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 154 frost-free days, at Mt Nebo 1 S, WV.
What growing zone is Richwood in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richwood?
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 Richwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richwood.
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.