Photo: Nyttend · Public domainRupert gets about 100 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 3 to October 9.
A year in Rupert at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rupert’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rupert’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Rupert feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lewisburg 3 N, WV, 17 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rupert’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 47 inches a year; May 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 Rupert
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 Lewisburg 3 N, WV.
Living with Rupert’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rupert from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rupert and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rupert yet.
Climates most like Rupert’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rupert, WV | 21° | 79° | 47" | 100" |
| Erie, PA | 20° | 81° | 44" | 104" |
| Conneaut, OH | 21° | 80° | 42" | 111" |
| Busti, NY | 16° | 80° | 46" | 98" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
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 Rupert averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Rupert compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rupert’s place among West Virginia’s.
Rupert weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rupert’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 | 38° | 21° | 3.8" | 26.1" | 15 | 18 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 3.2" | 21.9" | 13 | 15 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 4.3" | 16.0" | 13 | 8 | 32° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 4.1" | 5.3" | 11 | 2 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.9" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 31° | 3.3" | 7.5" | 10 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 42° | 24° | 3.9" | 22.1" | 13 | 13 | 21° – 45° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 47.4" | 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 21° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rupert’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 Rupert’s center.
- Snow: Richwood 1sse, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lewisburg 3 N, WV, 17 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Rupert’s climate
What is the weather like in Rupert?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 100 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rupert in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 139 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 22°.
How much snow does Rupert 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 Rupert?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lewisburg 3 N, WV).
When is the first and last frost in Rupert?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 158 frost-free days, at Lewisburg 3 N, WV.
What growing zone is Rupert 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 Rupert?
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 Rupert getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rupert.
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.