Photo: Tim Kiser (w:user:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Thomas gets about 170 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 36 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 77°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in November. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 97% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 67–77°.
A year in Thomas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thomas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thomas’ place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in Thomas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Canaan Valley #2, WV, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thomas’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 170 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Davis 3se, WV, is heaviest from January through February, about 44 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 198 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Thomas
97% 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 Canaan Valley #2, WV.
Living with Thomas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thomas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (87%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thomas and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thomas yet.
Climates most like Thomas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas, WV | 18° | 77° | 55" | 170" |
| Lee, NY | 12° | 80° | 50" | 151" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Stowe, VT | 7° | 78° | 45" | 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 Thomas averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Thomas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thomas’ place among West Virginia’s.
Thomas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thomas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Davis 3se, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 4.5" | 45.0" | 23 | 24 | 19° – 34° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 4.0" | 43.1" | 20 | 23 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 4.8" | 26.0" | 18 | 18 | 30° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 4.7" | 10.6" | 16 | 5 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 5.6" | 0.5" | 17 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 57° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 3.8" | 5.5" | 14 | 2 | 46° – 53° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 3.6" | 11.2" | 14 | 9 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 4.6" | 28.3" | 20 | 20 | 20° – 42° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 55.2" | 170.2" | 198 | 101 |
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 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Thomas’ 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 Thomas’ center.
- Snow: Davis 3se, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canaan Valley #2, WV, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher; 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 Thomas’ climate
What is the weather like in Thomas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 170 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thomas in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Thomas get?
About 170 inches in a normal winter at Davis 3se, WV, heaviest from January through February, about 44 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 101 days a year.
How hot does it get in Thomas?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Canaan Valley #2, WV.
When is the first and last frost in Thomas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 138 frost-free days, at Canaan Valley #2, WV.
What growing zone is Thomas in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Thomas?
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 Thomas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thomas.
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.