Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Wet weather: 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year in West Union, more than in 80% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 22°. The wettest month is June; the driest is November. Tender plants can go out after about April 28; in half of years the first frost comes by October 21.
A year in West Union at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Union’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Union’s place in West Virginia beside it.
What a year in West Union feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at W Union 2, WV, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Union’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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at W Union 2, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Union
86% 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 W Union 2, WV.
Living with West Union’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Union from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (92%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Union and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Union yet.
Climates most like West Union’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Union, WV | 22° | 85° | 49" | 23" |
| Lebanon, PA | 21° | 85° | 48" | 24" |
| Franklin Lakes, NJ | 21° | 85° | 49" | 24" |
| Elsmere, KY | 23° | 85° | 47" | 23" |
| North Vernon, IN | 23° | 86° | 48" | 17" |
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 West Union averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 West Union compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Union’s place among West Virginia’s.
West Union weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Union’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Union 2, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 22° | 3.8" | 9.9" | 16 | 11 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 24° | 3.4" | 6.7" | 13 | 8 | 21° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 31° | 4.2" | 2.8" | 14 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| April | 67° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 75° | 49° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 55° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 58° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 3.9" | 3.4" | 15 | 4 | 26° – 47° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 48.8" | 23.2" | 155 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where West Union’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 West Union’s center.
- Snow: W Union 2, WV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Union 2, WV, 0.7 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 West Union’s climate
What is the weather like in West Union?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Union in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 132 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 22°.
How much snow does West Union get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at W Union 2, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Union?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (W Union 2, WV).
When is the first and last frost in West Union?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 176 frost-free days, at W Union 2, WV.
What growing zone is West Union 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 West Union?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Union getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Union.
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.