Parkersburg, West Virginia climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Parkersburg's normal year runs from 24°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 42.5 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.3°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 30°C, 1,080 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationParkersburg/Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00003804
- Location39.34°N 81.44°W
- Elevation831 ft (253 m)
- Population28,834
On October 23, the normal high in Parkersburg is 64°F and the normal low 41°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 37%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Parkersburg.
- Jan 40° 24°
- Feb 44° 26°
- Mar 54° 33°
- Apr 67° 42°
- May 75° 52°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 85° 64°
- Aug 85° 62°
- Sep 79° 55°
- Oct 67° 44°
- Nov 55° 35°
- Dec 44° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Parkersburg each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 24°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.45 in), the least in November (2.88 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 24°F | 32.0°F | 3.27 | 15 | <1 | 24 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 44°F | 26°F | 35.0°F | 3.11 | 12 | <1 | 22 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 54°F | 33°F | 43.6°F | 3.67 | 13 | <1 | 16 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 67°F | 42°F | 54.6°F | 3.62 | 13 | <1 | 5 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 75°F | 52°F | 63.3°F | 4.17 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 82°F | 60°F | 71.0°F | 4.44 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 15 h |
| July | 85°F | 64°F | 74.7°F | 4.45 | 12 | 7 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 85°F | 62°F | 73.5°F | 3.38 | 10 | 6 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 79°F | 55°F | 66.9°F | 3.18 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 44°F | 55.4°F | 2.98 | 12 | <1 | 3 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 55°F | 35°F | 44.7°F | 2.88 | 11 | <1 | 14 | 10 h |
| December | 44°F | 28°F | 36.3°F | 3.36 | 13 | <1 | 21 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 65°F | 44°F | 54.2°F | 42.51 | 144 | 19 | 106 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −5°C | 0.0°C | 83 mm |
| February | 7°C | −4°C | 1.7°C | 79 mm |
| March | 12°C | 0°C | 6.4°C | 93 mm |
| April | 19°C | 6°C | 12.6°C | 92 mm |
| May | 24°C | 11°C | 17.4°C | 106 mm |
| June | 28°C | 16°C | 21.7°C | 113 mm |
| July | 30°C | 18°C | 23.7°C | 113 mm |
| August | 29°C | 17°C | 23.1°C | 86 mm |
| September | 26°C | 13°C | 19.4°C | 81 mm |
| October | 19°C | 7°C | 13.0°C | 76 mm |
| November | 13°C | 1°C | 7.1°C | 73 mm |
| December | 7°C | −2°C | 2.4°C | 85 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. Parkersburg's own co-op station Parkersburg station does: 11 inches of snow in a normal year (see the other stations below).
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00003804; 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.
When is the best weather to visit Parkersburg?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, August, September and October. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (9).
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 USW00003804.
When is the last frost in Parkersburg?
In Parkersburg, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 23 in half of years and after May 11 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 22 in half of years and before October 8 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 231 year in 10 after May 11; 9 in 10 after April 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 221 year in 10 before October 8; 9 in 10 before November 3
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 180 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 205 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 9 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Parkersburg in zone 6b in ZIP code 26101. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Parkersburg's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −1°F (25 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in West Virginia · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00003804; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 in Parkersburg?
In a normal year in Parkersburg, 19 days a year reach 90°F, 106 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 144 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 19a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 106a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 22high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 144a normal year
The highest temperature in Parkersburg's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1926) is 104°F, on July 28, 1930; the lowest is −24°F, on January 19, 1994.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2011, with 57.24 in; the snowiest season is 1993–94, with 57.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00003804; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record PKBthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Parkersburg, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 64°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 65°F; the driest air comes in January (23°F). March is the windiest month (7.2 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (64%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23°F | 68% | 56% | 6.6 mph | 42% | 44% |
| February | 26°F | 63% | 50% | 7.2 mph | 40% | 42% |
| March | 34°F | 57% | 42% | 7.2 mph | 47% | 33% |
| April | 45°F | 62% | 43% | 6.1 mph | 50% | 27% |
| May | 57°F | 72% | 53% | 4.8 mph | 52% | 20% |
| June | 64°F | 74% | 53% | 4.3 mph | 59% | 12% |
| July | 65°F | 75% | 53% | 3.9 mph | 64% | 10% |
| August | 62°F | 75% | 51% | 3.9 mph | 62% | 13% |
| September | 52°F | 74% | 50% | 4.7 mph | 61% | 19% |
| October | 39°F | 67% | 49% | 5.5 mph | 56% | 29% |
| November | 31°F | 69% | 55% | 6.4 mph | 47% | 43% |
| December | 26°F | 71% | 59% | 6.6 mph | 43% | 48% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00003804. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Parkersburg?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Parkersburg, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (79%) and December the cloudiest (56%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 1.7 |
| February | 59% | 2.5 |
| March | 64% | 3.6 |
| April | 69% | 4.8 |
| May | 71% | 5.5 |
| June | 76% | 6.1 |
| July | 77% | 5.9 |
| August | 79% | 5.4 |
| September | 78% | 4.5 |
| October | 70% | 3.1 |
| November | 68% | 2.2 |
| December | 56% | 1.5 |
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 much heating and cooling does Parkersburg need?
A normal year in Parkersburg brings 4,888 heating degree days, 9% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,000 cooling degree days, 10% more 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 3,612 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,024 | 0 |
| February | 839 | 0 |
| March | 667 | 2 |
| April | 329 | 18 |
| May | 131 | 77 |
| June | 17 | 197 |
| July | 1 | 301 |
| August | 3 | 268 |
| September | 62 | 117 |
| October | 317 | 18 |
| November | 610 | 1 |
| December | 888 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,888 | 1,000 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00003804. 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.
Has Parkersburg been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 54.2°F, equal to the 1991-2020 normal of 54.2°F. 3 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.5°F | +1.3°F | 42.38 |
| 2022 | 54.1°F | −0.1°F | 43.39 |
| 2023 | 55.7°F | +1.5°F | 43.78 |
| 2024 | 57.3°F | +3.0°F | 39.04 |
| 2025 | 54.2°F | at normal | 41.92 |
Over 112 complete years from 1889 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.0°F per century (+0.11°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00003804; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Parkersburg's climate compare?
Parkersburg is warmer than 48 of the other 62 places with their own NOAA record in West Virginia, and wetter than 15. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.2°F is warmer than 58%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Parkersburg is Cfa: temperate, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Parkersburg share this climate record?
7 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.
- Belpre, OH6,588 people · 9 mi SW
- Devola, OH2,617 people · 9 mi N
- Reno, OH1,154 people · 3 mi NE
- Little Hocking, OH572 people · 15 mi SW
- Lowell, OH548 people · 13 mi N
- Vincent, OH154 people · 13 mi W
- Lower Salem, OH70 people · 15 mi N
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Parkersburg's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Parkersburg. This page uses Parkersburg/Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkersburg station USW00013867 | 8 mi SW | 620 ft | 54.9°F | 24°F | 87°F | 44.2 | 11 | April 14 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Parkersburg's climate
What is the coldest month in Parkersburg?
January, with a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 24°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in Parkersburg?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Parkersburg's NOAA station; Parkersburg's own co-op station Parkersburg station records 11 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Parkersburg?
July, with 4.45 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is November with 2.88 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Parkersburg in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Parkersburg in zone 6b in ZIP code 26101. By the same method at Parkersburg's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −1°F (25 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Parkersburg?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 23; in one year in ten it comes after May 11. Waiting until May 11 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Parkersburg in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- West Virginia climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Marietta, OH4 miles from this station, 53.8°F a year
- Newport, OH12 miles from this station, 53.1°F a year
- Beverly, OH17 miles from this station, 52.9°F a year
- Harrisville, WV22 miles from this station, 52.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made