Climate Comfort Score
92/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 62°F annual avg 2 stations
Norfolk, VA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 62°F
- Avg annual temp
- 92/100
- Comfort score
- 49.2"
- Annual precip
- 251d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 2 weather stations (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia averages 62°F a year and scores 92/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 94% of U.S. cities.
- 62°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 92/100
- comfort score, milder than 94% of U.S. cities
- 49.2"
- annual precipitation · 6" snow
- 251 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
62°F (16°C)
Avg High
70°F
Avg Low
53°F
Annual Precip
49.2"
Annual Snow
6.2"
Comfort Score
92/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
62°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
49.2"
Plus 6.2" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Norfolk) 92.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the Norfolk area.
How Norfolk compares to every U.S. city
Norfolk's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
92 Top 6% higher than 94% 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 Norfolk
MethodologySince 1900, U.S. land temperatures have tracked (and diverged from) the global mean - the chart below shows how. Norfolk's current NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits within that longer spread, and the most recent decade runs 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 | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F (10°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 3.4" | 3.2" | 14.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 53°F (12°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 2.9" | 1.5" | 10.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 60°F (16°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 3.7" | 0.4" | 4.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 70°F (21°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| May | 77°F (25°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| June | 85°F (30°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.9 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 6.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 14.5 |
| August | 87°F (31°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 5.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 8.9 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 5.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.3 |
| October | 72°F (22°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 3.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| November | 62°F (17°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 3.1" | 0.0" | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| December | 55°F (13°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 3.3" | 1.1" | 9.4 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 3.4"
Snow: 3.2"
10.7 days with precipitation
February 2.9"
Snow: 1.5"
9.2 days with precipitation
March 3.7"
Snow: 0.4"
10.9 days with precipitation
April 3.4"
10.0 days with precipitation
May 3.8"
11.2 days with precipitation
June 4.4"
9.7 days with precipitation
July 6.1"
10.6 days with precipitation
August 5.9"
10.2 days with precipitation
September 5.4"
9.4 days with precipitation
October 3.9"
7.7 days with precipitation
November 3.1"
8.9 days with precipitation
December 3.3"
Snow: 1.1"
9.9 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 23
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 17
50% probability date
Growing Season
251 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,070
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,873
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63% | 9.7 | 47% | 27% |
| February | 63% | 10.3 | 43% | 30% |
| March | 63% | 10.7 | 47% | 25% |
| April | 66% | 10.5 | 42% | 21% |
| May | 71% | 8.9 | 41% | 18% |
| June | 70% | 8.2 | 42% | 9% |
| July | 74% | 7.8 | 38% | 13% |
| August | 74% | 8.5 | 39% | 15% |
| September | 73% | 8.9 | 39% | 21% |
| October | 70% | 8.7 | 46% | 24% |
| November | 67% | 8.6 | 48% | 21% |
| December | 68% | 8.9 | 44% | 26% |
What Norfolk's climate means for you
Norfolk runs 62°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 251 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near March 17 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,070 heating and 1,873 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: Norfolk, VA
An annual average temperature of 62°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 70°F to a mean daily low of 53°F is what the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals report for Norfolk, Virginia. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. That baseline comes from 2 weather stations and thirty years of averaging, so it reflects a typical month rather than any one year's swings.
Norfolk averages 49.2 inches of precipitation a year, with 6.2 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 251 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 17 and the first fall freeze near November 23. As for energy demand, 3,070 heating degree days and 1,873 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Norfolk scores 92/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Norfolk, VA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Norfolk, Virginia is 62°F. The warmest month averages 89°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 34°F (1°C).
How much rain does Norfolk get? ▼
Norfolk receives 49.2 inches of precipitation annually, including 6.2 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Norfolk? ▼
Norfolk has a climate comfort score of 92/100 (Excellent), milder than 94% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Norfolk? ▼
Norfolk has approximately 251 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around March 17 and the first fall freeze around November 23.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Norfolk? ▼
Norfolk has 3,070 heating degree days and 1,873 cooling degree days annually, a fairly balanced heating/cooling split. 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 Norfolk climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from 2 weather stations near Norfolk.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USW00013737. 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.