Cape Charles, VA climate
Cape Charles has mild winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cape Charles feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cape Charles weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 32° | 3.5" | 2.4" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 1 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 57° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 48° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| May | 75° | 58° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 67° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 88° | 71° | 5.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 70° | 4.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 65° | 4.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 54° | 3.8" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| November | 60° | 43° | 3.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 36° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 55° |
| Year | 68° | 51° | 46.4" | 2.7" | 110 | 3 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Cape Charles
Cape Charles gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
About 234 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first one by November 17. That leaves about 234 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cape Charles
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cape Charles, 73% of that work is heating and 27% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Cape Charles compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cape Charles averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cape Charles’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 34° to 55°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Cape Charles’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cape Charles?
January, with a typical high of 48° and a low of 32°.
What is the hottest month in Cape Charles?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 71°. About 14 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cape Charles get?
About 3 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Cape Charles?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 17, and the last spring frost by March 28.
What is the rainiest month in Cape Charles?
July, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cape Charles itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Langley Afb, VA (22 mi, snow) and Cape Charles 5 Ene, VA (5 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.