Climate · Elliston

Elliston, VA climate

Elliston has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
212th coolest of 700 Virginia towns
January low
26°
315th coldest of 700 Virginia towns
Rain + melted snow
42 in
119th driest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow a winter
18 in
215th snowiest of 698 Virginia towns
A normal year

What a year in Elliston feels like

Winter

48° / 27°
Typical high / low · 5 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

67° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 11

Summer

84° / 62°
Typical high / low · 28 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

68° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 28
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Elliston 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
January45°26°3.1" 5.4"105 28° – 42°
February49°28°2.7" 6.0"94 29° – 46°
March57°34°3.5" 2.4"111 39° – 55°
April68°42°3.5" 0.4"120 50° – 60°
May76°51°4.2" 0140 57° – 69°
June83°59°4.3" 0130 67° – 75°
July86°63°4.1" 0130 71° – 78°
August85°62°3.6" 0110 70° – 79°
September78°55°4.1" 090 63° – 72°
October69°44°3.0" 080 53° – 61°
November58°34°2.9" 0.3"90 40° – 51°
December48°29°3.1" 3.9"103 29° – 49°
Year67°44°42.1"18.4"12913

“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 Elliston

Elliston gets 42 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 13 days of the year.

42 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 59% of U.S. towns
18 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns
13 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 65% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.3"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.0"
Frost & the growing season

About 198 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 198 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 71% of U.S. towns.

97
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
28
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 Elliston

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elliston, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

81%heating
4,432 heating degree daysLess heating than 75% of U.S. towns
1,014 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 61% 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.

Compared with other towns

How Elliston compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 60% of U.S. towns212th coolest of 700 Virginia towns
Winter cold26° January low
Milder than 75% of U.S. towns315th coldest of 700 Virginia towns
Precipitation42" a year
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns119th driest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow18" a winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns215th snowiest of 698 Virginia towns
Growing season198 frost-free days
Longer than 71% of U.S. towns344th 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

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Elliston averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 63% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 38°, was 36°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 55°, was 54°
☀️ Summer+0.8° now 73°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 56°, was 56°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elliston’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 29° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Elliston’s climate

What is the coldest month in Elliston?

January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 26°.

What is the hottest month in Elliston?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 63°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Elliston get?

About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Elliston?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 11.

What is the rainiest month in Elliston?

June, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elliston itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lafayette 1 Ne, VA (1 mi, snow) and Roanoke 8 N, VA (17 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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