Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0Terra Alta gets about 171 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 34 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in May and the lightest in November. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Terra Alta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Terra Alta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Terra Alta’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Terra Alta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Terra Alta #1, WV, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Terra Alta’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°
About 171 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Terra Alta #1, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 54 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 192 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Terra Alta
96% 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 Terra Alta #1, WV.
Living with Terra Alta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Terra Alta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Terra Alta and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Terra Alta yet.
Climates most like Terra Alta’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Alta, WV | 19° | 78° | 54" | 171" |
| Lee, NY | 12° | 80° | 50" | 151" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
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 Terra Alta averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
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 Terra Alta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Terra Alta’s place among West Virginia’s.
Terra Alta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Terra Alta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Terra Alta #1, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 4.4" | 44.1" | 22 | 22 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 3.9" | 36.3" | 18 | 19 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 4.7" | 28.2" | 18 | 13 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 4.8" | 12.1" | 17 | 2 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 59° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.8" | 3.7" | 13 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 3.5" | 15.7" | 15 | 5 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 4.5" | 30.9" | 20 | 16 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 54.4" | 171.1" | 192 | 79 |
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 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Terra Alta’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 Terra Alta’s center.
- Snow: Terra Alta #1, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Terra Alta #1, WV, 0.2 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 Terra Alta’s climate
What is the weather like in Terra Alta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 171 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Terra Alta in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Terra Alta get?
About 171 inches in a normal winter at Terra Alta #1, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Terra Alta?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Terra Alta #1, WV.
When is the first and last frost in Terra Alta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 156 frost-free days, at Terra Alta #1, WV.
What growing zone is Terra Alta 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 Terra Alta?
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 Terra Alta 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 Terra Alta.
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.