Climate Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals Incorporated place · exact Census match 48°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Terra Alta, WV Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 48°F
- Avg annual temp
- 44/100
- Comfort score
- 57.0"
- Annual precip
- 157d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Terra Alta's primary NOAA station, TERRA ALTA #1.
The climate verdict for Terra Alta
Water is the standout signal in Terra Alta, West Virginia: 57.0 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 48°F. At 44/100 (moderate) the composite comfort score falls in the least temperate third of station-mapped US locations, milder than only 10% of them.
- 48°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 44/100
- comfort score, milder than 10% of station-mapped locations
- 57.0"
- annual precipitation · 171" snow
- 157 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
48°F (9°C)
Avg High
57°F
Avg Low
38°F
Annual Precip
57.0"
Annual Snow
171.1"
Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
48°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
57.0"
Plus 171.1" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Terra Alta) 44.0%
National median (64)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Terra Alta area.
How Terra Alta compares with its closest stations
Against the 6 closest stations in the record, Terra Alta averages 48°F a year, warmer than Sines Deep Creek, MD (47°F) and Bayard, WV (47°F), and cooler than Oakland, MD (50°F) and Rowlesburg, WV (52°F). On comfort score it places 2 of 6 in that local group.
Corpus-relative placement
Where Terra Alta sits across the climate record
These comparisons place this primary-station normal among station-mapped locations with the same NOAA 1991–2020 fields.
- Annual temperature
- Warmer than 30%
- of 6,861 measured location normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Wetter than 92%
- of 6,352 measured location normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Larger than 43%
- of 6,861 complete location-year normals.
How Terra Alta compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Terra Alta's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 10th percentile milder than 10% of 6,189 station-mapped locations
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F (1°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 4.7" | 44.1" | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 38°F (3°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 4.3" | 36.3" | 24.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 46°F (8°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 5.0" | 28.2" | 20.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 5.0" | 12.1" | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 67°F (19°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 5.4" | 0.1" | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| June | 73°F (23°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 5.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 77°F (25°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 5.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| August | 76°F (24°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 4.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 70°F (21°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 60°F (15°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.8" | 3.7" | 4.6 | 0.0 |
| November | 49°F (9°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 3.9" | 15.7" | 16.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 39°F (4°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 4.6" | 30.9" | 24.4 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 77°F around July 7, short of 90°F on every date, while 146 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 17°F near January 22.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 3, then returns to freezing around November 10, covering 146 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is January 11, when 68% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is September 11 at 37%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 192 wet dates a year.
The widest day
April 14 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 23°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Terra Alta.
Where Terra Alta Stands Nationally
This is one of the wettest normals climates ranked: about 57 inches of precipitation in a normal year, a total fewer than one station in ten surpasses.
Days and nights track unusually close together; the widest normal swing, about 23°F, is narrower than most stations record.
Standing computed against the distribution of 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations in the PlainClimate database; only nationally notable standings are shown.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 4.7"
Snow: 44.1"
21.5 days with precipitation
February 4.3"
Snow: 36.3"
18.2 days with precipitation
March 5.0"
Snow: 28.2"
17.8 days with precipitation
April 5.0"
Snow: 12.1"
16.6 days with precipitation
May 5.4"
Snow: 0.1"
16.5 days with precipitation
June 5.5"
14.9 days with precipitation
July 5.8"
14.0 days with precipitation
August 4.8"
13.4 days with precipitation
September 4.1"
11.6 days with precipitation
October 3.8"
Snow: 3.7"
12.5 days with precipitation
November 3.9"
Snow: 15.7"
15.3 days with precipitation
December 4.6"
Snow: 30.9"
19.9 days with precipitation
Terra Alta spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 28% of the annual total and December through February 24%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Terra Alta has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 41.6°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: July averages 5.8" and October 3.8". The three wettest months together take 29% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
How Terra Alta's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 192 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 57.0" between them, or roughly 0.30 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
Wet days a year
192
Wettest month by days
January
Driest month by days
September
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Terra Alta
Terra Alta averages 171.1 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 62 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 171.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 62 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 30% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 11
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 7
50% probability date
Growing Season
157 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,562
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
276
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Places with a similar climate profile
NOAA 1991–2020 annual normals connect this location to non-geographic peers. Temperature peers use annual mean temperature; energy peers use both heating and cooling degree days.
Closest annual-temperature peers
What Terra Alta's climate means for you
Terra Alta runs 48°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners work an ordinary 157-day frost-free window; the last spring freeze usually lands near May 7, so start dates matter.
- Keeping warm is the dominant household load: 6,562 heating degree days against only 276 for cooling.
- See how Terra Alta lines up against the rest of West Virginia and the national rankings. See rankings
Climate Guides
Data-derived climate profile
How Terra Alta's climate pattern fits together
heating led · wet · mid swing
Terra Alta's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,562 annual heating degree days against 276 for cooling. Its 41.6°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Terra Alta's frost-free season lasts about 157 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Terra Alta's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 41.6°F. The annual average is 48°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Alongside its heating load, Terra Alta carries 57.0 inches of precipitation in a normal year, inside PlainClimate's wet range. Annual snowfall totals 171.1 inches. That distinction matters because a wet annual total can arrive as rain, snow, or a mixture at different times.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Terra Alta's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. They are descriptive ranges, not an official NOAA classification or a forecast for any specific year.
The year in four calendar signals
- Warmest normal
- July
- Even at its warmest the station only averages 67°F (20°C), so no month here is hot by national standards.
- Coldest normal
- January
- The monthly mean of 26°F (-3°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
- Rainfall rhythm
- July to October
- July is typically wettest; October is driest.
- Mild-temperature window
- May through September
- Monthly means sit between 55°F and 75°F in this window. Freezing days are still reported from January through December.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Terra Alta, WV? ▼
The average annual temperature in Terra Alta, West Virginia is 48°F. The warmest month averages 77°F (25°C) and the coldest averages 18°F (-8°C).
How much snow does Terra Alta get? ▼
Terra Alta averages 171.1 inches of snow a year, most of it in January, within 57.0 inches of total precipitation. Snowfall is depth on the ground; the precipitation total counts its liquid equivalent, so the two are not additive.
How cold does Terra Alta get in winter? ▼
Terra Alta records about 127 days a year with a low at or below freezing, with January the coldest month on the normals, and an annual average daily low of 38°F.
What is the comfort score for Terra Alta? ▼
Terra Alta has a climate comfort score of 44/100 (Moderate), milder than 10% of station-mapped locations in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Terra Alta? ▼
Terra Alta has approximately 157 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 7 and the first fall freeze around October 11.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Terra Alta? ▼
Terra Alta has 6,562 heating degree days and 276 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. 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 Terra Alta climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Figures on this page come from Terra Alta's primary NOAA station (TERRA ALTA #1, USC00468777).
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Terra Alta's primary station: TERRA ALTA #1 (USC00468777). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 5479708). The reproducible method is an exact normalized name-and-state match; unresolved is an upper bound on facilities because spelling variants can be missed.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.