Elk Creek (4 mi SSW), Virginia climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)'s normal year runs from 22°F January nights to 79°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.1°C, January lows of −6°C, July highs of 26°C.
- NOAA stationElk Creek (4 mi SSW)
- Station IDUSC00442730
- Location36.67°N 81.19°W
- Elevation3,439 ft (1,048 m)
On October 24, the normal high in Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) is 60°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Elk Creek (4 mi SSW).
- Jan 41° 22°
- Feb 45° 25°
- Mar 52° 31°
- Apr 62° 41°
- May 69° 52°
- Jun 76° 59°
- Jul 79° 63°
- Aug 77° 61°
- Sep 72° 55°
- Oct 63° 44°
- Nov 54° 35°
- Dec 46° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 79°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 22°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F | 22°F | 31.7°F | – | <1 | 21 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 45°F | 25°F | 34.9°F | – | <1 | 14 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 52°F | 31°F | 41.5°F | – | <1 | 16 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 62°F | 41°F | 51.4°F | – | <1 | 5 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 69°F | 52°F | 60.5°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 76°F | 59°F | 67.2°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 79°F | 63°F | 70.7°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 77°F | 61°F | 69.0°F | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 72°F | 55°F | 63.6°F | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 44°F | 53.3°F | – | <1 | 2 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 54°F | 35°F | 44.4°F | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 27°F | 36.4°F | – | <1 | 17 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 61°F | 43°F | 52.0°F | – | <1 | 89 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −6°C | −0.2°C |
| February | 7°C | −4°C | 1.6°C |
| March | 11°C | −1°C | 5.3°C |
| April | 17°C | 5°C | 10.8°C |
| May | 21°C | 11°C | 15.8°C |
| June | 24°C | 15°C | 19.6°C |
| July | 26°C | 17°C | 21.5°C |
| August | 25°C | 16°C | 20.6°C |
| September | 22°C | 13°C | 17.6°C |
| October | 17°C | 7°C | 11.8°C |
| November | 12°C | 1°C | 6.9°C |
| December | 8°C | −3°C | 2.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Sparta (15 miles away), gets 19 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00442730; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00442730.
When is the last frost at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
In Elk Creek (4 mi SSW), the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 16 in half of years and after May 2 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 15 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 161 year in 10 after May 2; 9 in 10 after April 3
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 15; 9 in 10 before November 8
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 193 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 213 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 5 in half of springs and before November 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) in zone 7a in ZIP code 24348, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Virginia · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00442730; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
In a normal year in Elk Creek (4 mi SSW), a 90°F day is rare and 89 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 89a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 15high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00442730.
How sunny is it at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW), 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (75%) and February the cloudiest (66%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 68% | 2.4 |
| February | 66% | 3.0 |
| March | 69% | 4.1 |
| April | 72% | 5.2 |
| May | 71% | 5.7 |
| June | 75% | 6.1 |
| July | 74% | 5.8 |
| August | 75% | 5.3 |
| September | 74% | 4.6 |
| October | 74% | 3.6 |
| November | 75% | 2.8 |
| December | 68% | 2.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) record?
A normal year at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) brings 5,175 heating degree days, 4% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 474 cooling degree days, 48% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,822 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,033 | 0 |
| February | 844 | 0 |
| March | 728 | 0 |
| April | 410 | 1 |
| May | 160 | 20 |
| June | 23 | 89 |
| July | 2 | 177 |
| August | 10 | 134 |
| September | 95 | 52 |
| October | 364 | 2 |
| November | 620 | 0 |
| December | 886 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,175 | 474 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00442730. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)'s climate compare?
Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) is warmer than 3 of the 81 places with their own NOAA record in Virginia. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.0°F is warmer than 49%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) share this climate record?
Sugar Grove has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Sugar Grove, VA598 people · 13 mi NW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)'s climate
What is the coldest month at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
January, with a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 22°F. The warmest is July (79°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Sparta (15 miles away), records 19 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Elk Creek (4 mi SSW) in zone 7a in ZIP code 24348, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Elk Creek (4 mi SSW)?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 16; in one year in ten it comes after May 2. Waiting until May 2 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Virginia climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Sparta, NC15 miles from this station, 52.6°F a year
- Galax, VA16 miles from this station, 52.5°F a year
- Transou, NC20 miles from this station, 50.4°F a year
- Wytheville, VA21 miles from this station, 52.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made