Climate · Dumbarton

Dumbarton, VA climate

Dumbarton has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
96th hottest of 700 Virginia towns
January low
27°
167th mildest of 700 Virginia towns
Rain + melted snow
46 in
210th wettest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow a winter
15 in
293rd snowiest of 698 Virginia towns
A normal year

What a year in Dumbarton feels like

Winter

50° / 29°
Typical high / low · 4 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

69° / 45°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 10

Summer

87° / 66°
Typical high / low · 43 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

70° / 48°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 31
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Dumbarton weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January48°27°3.4" 5.9"103 32° – 44°
February52°29°2.8" 4.0"94 30° – 48°
March60°36°4.0" 1.8"101 42° – 57°
April70°45°3.4" 0100 53° – 63°
May77°54°4.2" 0100 61° – 72°
June85°63°4.3" 090 70° – 79°
July89°68°4.4" 0100 74° – 82°
August87°66°4.4" 080 73° – 80°
September81°59°4.5" 080 67° – 75°
October71°47°3.7" 070 55° – 65°
November60°37°3.3" 070 42° – 53°
December51°31°3.7" 3.0"92 32° – 51°
Year69°47°46.2"14.7"10610

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Dumbarton

Dumbarton gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 10 days of the year.

46 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 74% of U.S. towns
15 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 66% of U.S. towns
10 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 68% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
5.9"
Frost & the growing season

About 202 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first one by October 31. That leaves about 202 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 73% of U.S. towns.

88
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
43
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Dumbarton

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dumbarton, 74% of that work is heating and 26% is cooling.

74%heating
3,957 heating degree daysLess heating than 79% of U.S. towns
1,420 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 76% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Dumbarton

Dumbarton and its neighbors

Dumbarton borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Laurel has the coldest January nights (27°) and Lakeside the hottest July afternoons (89°). Dumbarton’s January low is 27° and its July high 89°.

Richmond: January low 28°, July high 89°Glen Allen: January low 27°, July high 89°Lakeside: January low 27°, July high 89°Laurel: January low 27°, July high 89°Dumbarton: January low 27°, July high 89° DumbartonLakesideLaurel
ColderMilder27° to 28°
Laurel27.1° −0.3°
Dumbarton27.4°
Lakeside27.4° same

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Dumbarton compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 74% of U.S. towns96th hottest of 700 Virginia towns
Winter cold27° January low
Milder than 78% of U.S. towns167th mildest of 700 Virginia towns
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 74% of U.S. towns210th wettest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow15" a winter
Less snow than 66% of U.S. towns293rd snowiest of 698 Virginia towns
Growing season202 frost-free days
Longer than 73% of U.S. towns267th longest of 700 Virginia towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Dumbarton averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 67% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.5° now 40°, was 38°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 57°, was 56°
☀️ Summer+0.8° now 76°, was 75°
🍂 Fall+0.9° now 59°, was 58°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dumbarton’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 32° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Dumbarton’s climate

What is the coldest month in Dumbarton?

January, with a typical high of 48° and a low of 27°.

What is the hottest month in Dumbarton?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 43 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Dumbarton get?

About 15 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Dumbarton?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 31, and the last spring frost by April 10.

What is the rainiest month in Dumbarton?

September, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Dumbarton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ashland, VA (10 mi, snow) and Ashland Hanover Co Municipal Airport, VA (8 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.

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