Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Summers, winters and rain in St. Marys all run close to those of most U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 22°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 63% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in December. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 23, with the first autumn frost due around October 26.
A year in St. Marys at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Marys’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Marys’ place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in St. Marys feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newport, OH, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Marys’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Newport, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Marys
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Newport, OH.
Living with St. Marys’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Marys from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (93%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Marys and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Marys yet.
Climates most like St. Marys’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 24" |
| Rutherford, PA | 22° | 85° | 45" | 24" |
| Hebron, KY | 23° | 85° | 46" | 23" |
| Delhi Hills, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 St. Marys averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 St. Marys compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Marys’ place among West Virginia’s.
St. Marys weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Marys’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Newport, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 22° | 3.5" | 8.9" | 14 | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 24° | 3.2" | 7.0" | 12 | 7 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 31° | 3.9" | 3.9" | 12 | 2 | 36° – 54° |
| April | 67° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.5" | 3.6" | 13 | 4 | 26° – 47° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 45.6" | 23.8" | 135 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where St. Marys’ 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 St. Marys’ center.
- Snow: Newport, OH (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport, OH, 0.9 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 St. Marys’ climate
What is the weather like in St. Marys?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Marys in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 119 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 St. Marys get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Newport, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Marys?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Newport, OH).
When is the first and last frost in St. Marys?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 185 frost-free days, at Newport, OH.
What growing zone is St. Marys in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Marys?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is St. Marys getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Marys.
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.