Lost River, West Virginia climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Lost River's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.4°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 29°C.
- NOAA stationLost River
- Station IDUSC00465453
- Location38.95°N 78.80°W
- Elevation1,690 ft (515 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Lost River is 63°F and the normal low 37°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Lost River.
- Jan 41° 19°
- Feb 44° 20°
- Mar 51° 26°
- Apr 64° 37°
- May 72° 46°
- Jun 79° 55°
- Jul 84° 58°
- Aug 82° 57°
- Sep 76° 50°
- Oct 65° 39°
- Nov 55° 30°
- Dec 45° 23°
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 Lost River each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F | 19°F | 30.1°F | – | <1 | 27 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 44°F | 20°F | 31.8°F | – | <1 | 26 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 51°F | 26°F | 38.7°F | – | <1 | 22 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 64°F | 37°F | 50.5°F | – | <1 | 10 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 72°F | 46°F | 59.1°F | – | 1 | 2 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 79°F | 55°F | 66.9°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 84°F | 58°F | 70.6°F | – | 4 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 82°F | 57°F | 69.3°F | – | 3 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 76°F | 50°F | 62.9°F | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 65°F | 39°F | 52.2°F | – | <1 | 7 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 55°F | 30°F | 42.3°F | – | <1 | 18 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 45°F | 23°F | 33.7°F | – | <1 | 27 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 63°F | 38°F | 50.7°F | – | 11 | 139 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −7°C | −1.1°C |
| February | 7°C | −7°C | −0.1°C |
| March | 11°C | −3°C | 3.7°C |
| April | 18°C | 3°C | 10.3°C |
| May | 22°C | 8°C | 15.1°C |
| June | 26°C | 13°C | 19.4°C |
| July | 29°C | 14°C | 21.4°C |
| August | 28°C | 14°C | 20.7°C |
| September | 25°C | 10°C | 17.2°C |
| October | 18°C | 4°C | 11.2°C |
| November | 13°C | −1°C | 5.7°C |
| December | 7°C | −5°C | 0.9°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Moorefield (11 miles away), gets 21 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00465453; 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 Lost River?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August, September and October.
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 USC00465453.
When is the last frost at Lost River?
In Lost River, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 3 in half of years and after May 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 12 in half of years and before September 28 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
- May 31 year in 10 after May 21; 9 in 10 after April 19
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 121 year in 10 before September 28; 9 in 10 before October 26
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 160 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 183 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 23 in half of springs and before October 24 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lost River in zone 6a in ZIP code 26810, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in West Virginia · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00465453; 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 Lost River?
In a normal year in Lost River, 11 days a year reach 90°F and 139 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 11a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 139a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 22high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00465453.
How sunny is it at Lost River?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Lost River, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and January the cloudiest (69%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 69% | 2.2 |
| February | 70% | 3.0 |
| March | 70% | 4.0 |
| April | 72% | 5.0 |
| May | 71% | 5.5 |
| June | 77% | 6.2 |
| July | 78% | 6.0 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 75% | 4.4 |
| October | 74% | 3.4 |
| November | 75% | 2.5 |
| December | 70% | 1.9 |
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 Lost River record?
A normal year at Lost River brings 5,722 heating degree days, 6% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 530 cooling degree days, 42% 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 2,762 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,083 | 0 |
| February | 931 | 0 |
| March | 814 | 0 |
| April | 442 | 7 |
| May | 207 | 25 |
| June | 51 | 107 |
| July | 8 | 183 |
| August | 17 | 150 |
| September | 115 | 54 |
| October | 404 | 6 |
| November | 680 | 0 |
| December | 970 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,722 | 530 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00465453. 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 Lost River's climate compare?
Lost River is warmer than 8 of the 63 places with their own NOAA record in West Virginia. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 50.7°F is warmer than 44%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Lost River share this climate record?
8 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their 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.
- Timberville, VA3,104 people · 22 mi S
- Basye, VA1,416 people · 10 mi S
- Conicville, VA374 people · 10 mi SE
- Columbia Furnace, VA266 people · 11 mi SE
- Mount Clifton, VA196 people · 13 mi S
- Hudson Crossroads, VA6 people · 11 mi S
- Forestville, VA0 people · 16 mi S
- Orkney Springs, VA0 people · 11 mi S
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 Lost River's climate
What is the coldest month at Lost River?
January, with a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 58°F at night).
Does it snow at Lost River?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Moorefield (11 miles away), records 21 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Lost River in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Lost River in zone 6a in ZIP code 26810, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Lost River?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 3; in one year in ten it comes after May 21. Waiting until May 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- West Virginia climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Moorefield, WV11 miles from this station, 53.0°F a year
- Edinburg, VA15 miles from this station, 52.8°F a year
- Wardensville, WV16 miles from this station, 51.6°F a year
- Woodstock, VA18 miles from this station, 53.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made