Rocky Gap, VA climate
Rocky Gap has chilly winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rocky Gap feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rocky Gap 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 | 42° | 23° | 3.1" | 7.5" | 14 | 7 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 2.8" | 5.7" | 12 | 7 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 3.7" | 4.9" | 12 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 13 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.4" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 3.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.3" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.4" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 2.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 3.1" | 4.5" | 12 | 4 | 25° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 40.6" | 23.9" | 141 | 22 |
“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 Rocky Gap
Rocky Gap gets 41 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 22 days of the year.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 182 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 55% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Rocky Gap
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rocky Gap, 91% of that work is heating and 9% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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 Rocky Gap 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 Rocky Gap averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°). The shift is smaller than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rocky Gap’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 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Rocky Gap’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rocky Gap?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Rocky Gap?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rocky Gap get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Rocky Gap?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Rocky Gap?
May, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rocky Gap itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Princeton, WV (10 mi, snow) and Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, WV (7 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.