Petersburg, West Virginia climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Petersburg's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 89°F July afternoons, with 40.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.6°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 31°C, 1,024 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationPetersburg
- Station IDUSC00466952
- Location39.00°N 79.14°W
- Elevation960 ft (293 m)
- Population2,277
On October 23, the normal high in Petersburg is 66°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Petersburg.
- Jan 44° 23°
- Feb 47° 25°
- Mar 56° 31°
- Apr 68° 40°
- May 76° 50°
- Jun 84° 59°
- Jul 89° 63°
- Aug 86° 62°
- Sep 81° 54°
- Oct 69° 42°
- Nov 57° 33°
- Dec 47° 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 in Petersburg each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 89°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.50 in), the least in November (2.46 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44°F | 23°F | 33.7°F | 2.56 | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 47°F | 25°F | 36.2°F | 2.61 | – | <1 | 24 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 56°F | 31°F | 43.5°F | 3.50 | – | <1 | 19 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 40°F | 54.0°F | 3.46 | – | <1 | 7 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 76°F | 50°F | 62.8°F | 4.48 | – | 2 | 1 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 84°F | 59°F | 71.5°F | 4.15 | – | 6 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 89°F | 63°F | 75.7°F | 4.50 | – | 11 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 86°F | 62°F | 73.9°F | 3.61 | – | 7 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 81°F | 54°F | 67.3°F | 3.34 | – | 4 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 42°F | 55.4°F | 2.72 | – | <1 | 6 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 57°F | 33°F | 44.8°F | 2.46 | – | <1 | 18 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 47°F | 27°F | 37.1°F | 2.93 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 67°F | 42°F | 54.7°F | 40.32 | – | 30 | 124 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −5°C | 0.9°C | 65 mm |
| February | 8°C | −4°C | 2.3°C | 66 mm |
| March | 13°C | 0°C | 6.4°C | 89 mm |
| April | 20°C | 5°C | 12.2°C | 88 mm |
| May | 24°C | 10°C | 17.1°C | 114 mm |
| June | 29°C | 15°C | 21.9°C | 105 mm |
| July | 31°C | 17°C | 24.3°C | 114 mm |
| August | 30°C | 16°C | 23.3°C | 92 mm |
| September | 27°C | 12°C | 19.6°C | 85 mm |
| October | 20°C | 6°C | 13.0°C | 69 mm |
| November | 14°C | 1°C | 7.1°C | 62 mm |
| December | 9°C | −3°C | 2.8°C | 74 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Moorefield (10 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 USC00466952; 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 Petersburg?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, 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 USC00466952.
When is the last frost in Petersburg?
In Petersburg, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 23 in half of years and after May 13 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 20 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 13; 9 in 10 after April 5
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 201 year in 10 before October 8; 9 in 10 before November 2
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 179 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 205 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 7 in half of springs and before October 30 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Petersburg in zone 7a in ZIP code 26847, 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 USC00466952; 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 in Petersburg?
In a normal year in Petersburg, 30 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 124 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 30a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 124a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 15high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00466952.
How sunny is Petersburg?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Petersburg, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (75%) and January the cloudiest (64%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 64% | 2.0 |
| February | 66% | 2.9 |
| March | 67% | 3.9 |
| April | 69% | 4.9 |
| May | 68% | 5.3 |
| June | 73% | 6.0 |
| July | 75% | 5.8 |
| August | 75% | 5.3 |
| September | 73% | 4.4 |
| October | 71% | 3.3 |
| November | 72% | 2.4 |
| December | 64% | 1.8 |
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 Petersburg need?
A normal year in Petersburg brings 4,795 heating degree days, 11% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,060 cooling degree days, 17% 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 3,634 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 969 | 0 |
| February | 805 | 0 |
| March | 669 | 2 |
| April | 348 | 17 |
| May | 145 | 75 |
| June | 21 | 216 |
| July | 1 | 334 |
| August | 3 | 279 |
| September | 55 | 124 |
| October | 311 | 13 |
| November | 607 | 1 |
| December | 863 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,795 | 1,060 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00466952. 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 Petersburg's climate compare?
Petersburg is warmer than 50 of the other 62 places with their own NOAA record in West Virginia, and wetter than 8. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.7°F is warmer than 59%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Petersburg 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.
Questions about Petersburg's climate
What is the coldest month in Petersburg?
January, with a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (89°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Petersburg?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Petersburg's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Moorefield (10 miles away), records 21 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Petersburg?
July, with 4.50 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is November with 2.46 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Petersburg in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Petersburg in zone 7a in ZIP code 26847, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Petersburg?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 23; in one year in ten it comes after May 13. Waiting until May 13 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, WV9 miles from this station, 53.0°F a year
- Canaan Valley #2, WV17 miles from this station, 46.7°F a year
- Davis, WV17 miles from this station, 45.7°F a year
- Lost River, WV19 miles from this station, 50.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made