Climate Comfort Score
64/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 54°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Charleston, WV Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 54°F
- Avg annual temp
- 64/100
- Comfort score
- 48.2"
- Annual precip
- 180d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia averages 54°F a year and scores 64/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 51% of U.S. cities.
- 54°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 64/100
- comfort score, milder than 51% of U.S. cities
- 48.2"
- precipitation, annual total
- 180 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
54°F (12°C)
Avg High
66°F
Avg Low
43°F
Annual Precip
48.2"
Comfort Score
64/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
54°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
48.2"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Charleston) 64.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Charleston area.
How Charleston compares to every U.S. city
Charleston's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
64 Top 49% higher than 51% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Charleston
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Charleston captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43°F (6°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 3.5" | 24.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 3.3" | 22.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 56°F (13°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 4.4" | 18.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 68°F (20°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 4.1" | 6.4 | 0.4 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 5.2" | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| June | 83°F (28°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 4.4" | 0.0 | 4.4 |
| July | 86°F (30°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 5.8" | 0.0 | 7.2 |
| August | 85°F (29°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 3.7" | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| September | 80°F (26°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 3.5" | 0.0 | 3.5 |
| October | 68°F (20°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 3.1" | 4.5 | 0.4 |
| November | 57°F (14°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 3.1" | 16.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 47°F (8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 4.1" | 22.5 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 3.5"
15.3 days with precipitation
February 3.3"
14.1 days with precipitation
March 4.4"
14.7 days with precipitation
April 4.1"
14.4 days with precipitation
May 5.2"
14.6 days with precipitation
June 4.4"
13.7 days with precipitation
July 5.8"
12.6 days with precipitation
August 3.7"
10.8 days with precipitation
September 3.5"
9.1 days with precipitation
October 3.1"
11.0 days with precipitation
November 3.1"
11.4 days with precipitation
December 4.1"
15.0 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 20
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 23
50% probability date
Growing Season
180 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,846
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,018
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Charleston's climate means for you
Charleston runs 54°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 180 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 23 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 4,846 heating and 1,018 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Charleston, WV
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Charleston, West Virginia as a location with an annual average temperature of 54°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 66°F to a mean daily low of 43°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00461579, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Charleston sees about 48.2 inches of precipitation a year, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 180 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 23 and the first fall freeze near October 20. On the energy side, 4,846 heating degree days and 1,018 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Charleston scores 64/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows in the monthly tables above, summer brings July-driven heat, and winter brings January-driven cold - use that rhythm for planning. These figures are thirty-year averages rather than forecasts, so a specific year may still run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than what's shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Charleston, WV? ▼
The average annual temperature in Charleston, West Virginia is 54°F. The warmest month averages 86°F (30°C) and the coldest averages 23°F (-5°C).
How much rain does Charleston get? ▼
Charleston receives 48.2 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Charleston? ▼
Charleston has a climate comfort score of 64/100 (Good), milder than 51% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Charleston? ▼
Charleston has approximately 180 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 20.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Charleston? ▼
Charleston has 4,846 heating degree days and 1,018 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Charleston climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00461579 near Charleston.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00461579. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.