Radford, Virginia climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Radford's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 42.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.6°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 29°C, 1,070 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationRadford (3 mi N)
- Station IDUSC00446999
- Location37.20°N 80.59°W
- Elevation1,800 ft (549 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population17,273
On October 22, the normal high in Radford is 64°F and the normal low 38°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Radford.
- Jan 42° 23°
- Feb 46° 25°
- Mar 54° 31°
- Apr 65° 40°
- May 73° 49°
- Jun 80° 57°
- Jul 84° 61°
- Aug 83° 60°
- Sep 77° 54°
- Oct 67° 41°
- Nov 55° 32°
- 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 in Radford each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F. The most precipitation falls in May (4.50 in), the least in February (2.68 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 23°F | 32.5°F | 3.17 | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 46°F | 25°F | 35.8°F | 2.68 | – | <1 | 23 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 54°F | 31°F | 42.7°F | 3.64 | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 65°F | 40°F | 52.6°F | 3.66 | – | <1 | 6 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 60.7°F | 4.50 | – | <1 | 1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 80°F | 57°F | 68.8°F | 3.94 | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 84°F | 61°F | 72.5°F | 4.19 | – | 5 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 83°F | 60°F | 71.3°F | 3.68 | – | 3 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 77°F | 54°F | 65.1°F | 3.58 | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 41°F | 53.8°F | 2.94 | – | <1 | 5 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 55°F | 32°F | 43.3°F | 2.81 | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 27°F | 36.3°F | 3.32 | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 42°F | 52.9°F | 42.11 | – | 11 | 119 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −5°C | 0.3°C | 81 mm |
| February | 8°C | −4°C | 2.1°C | 68 mm |
| March | 12°C | 0°C | 5.9°C | 92 mm |
| April | 18°C | 5°C | 11.4°C | 93 mm |
| May | 23°C | 9°C | 15.9°C | 114 mm |
| June | 27°C | 14°C | 20.4°C | 100 mm |
| July | 29°C | 16°C | 22.5°C | 106 mm |
| August | 28°C | 16°C | 21.8°C | 93 mm |
| September | 25°C | 12°C | 18.4°C | 91 mm |
| October | 19°C | 5°C | 12.1°C | 75 mm |
| November | 13°C | 0°C | 6.3°C | 71 mm |
| December | 8°C | −3°C | 2.4°C | 84 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Pearisburg (8 miles away), gets 23 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00446999; 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 Radford?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, 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 USC00446999.
When is the last frost in Radford?
In Radford, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 26 in half of years and after May 16 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 18 in half of years and before October 6 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 261 year in 10 after May 16; 9 in 10 after April 10
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 181 year in 10 before October 6; 9 in 10 before October 31
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 174 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 199 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 10 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Radford in zone 7a in ZIP code 24141.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Virginia · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00446999; 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 Radford?
In a normal year in Radford, 11 days a year reach 90°F and 119 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
- 119a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 14high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00446999.
How sunny is Radford?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Radford, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (76%) and January the cloudiest (65%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 65% | 2.2 |
| February | 65% | 2.9 |
| March | 67% | 3.9 |
| April | 71% | 5.1 |
| May | 70% | 5.5 |
| June | 75% | 6.1 |
| July | 75% | 5.9 |
| August | 76% | 5.3 |
| September | 74% | 4.4 |
| October | 72% | 3.4 |
| November | 73% | 2.6 |
| December | 65% | 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 much heating and cooling does Radford need?
A normal year in Radford brings 5,067 heating degree days, 6% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 702 cooling degree days, 23% 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 3,124 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,009 | 0 |
| February | 816 | 0 |
| March | 691 | 0 |
| April | 374 | 4 |
| May | 165 | 32 |
| June | 24 | 137 |
| July | 4 | 235 |
| August | 7 | 202 |
| September | 79 | 83 |
| October | 359 | 10 |
| November | 649 | 0 |
| December | 890 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,067 | 702 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00446999. 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 Radford been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 53.7°F, 0.8°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 52.9°F. 4 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.8°F | +0.9°F | 38.82 |
| 2022 | 53.6°F | +0.7°F | 42.61 |
| 2023 | 54.3°F | +1.4°F | – |
| 2025 | 53.7°F | +0.8°F | – |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00446999. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Radford's climate compare?
Radford is warmer than 12 of the other 80 places with their own NOAA record in Virginia, and wetter than 9. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.9°F is warmer than 53%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Radford 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 Radford share this climate record?
5 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.
- Fairlawn, VA2,555 people · 4 mi SE
- Belview, VA920 people · 5 mi SE
- Parrott, VA414 people · 3 mi W
- New River, VA377 people · 4 mi S
- Belspring, VA191 people · 1 mi W
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 Radford's climate
What is the coldest month in Radford?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 61°F at night).
Does it snow in Radford?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Radford's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Pearisburg (8 miles away), records 23 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Radford?
May, with 4.50 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.68 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Radford in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Radford in zone 7a in ZIP code 24141.
How late can frost come in Radford?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 26; in one year in ten it comes after May 16. Waiting until May 16 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Virginia climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Pearisburg, VA8 miles from this station, 52.6°F a year
- Blacksburg, VA9 miles from this station, 52.1°F a year
- Christiansburg, VA11 miles from this station, 52.6°F a year
- Pulaski, VA15 miles from this station, 52.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made