Climate · Suffolk

Suffolk, VA climate

Suffolk has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
61st hottest of 700 Virginia towns
January low
30°
56th mildest of 700 Virginia towns
Rain + melted snow
50 in
29th wettest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow a winter
4 in
40th least snowy of 698 Virginia towns
+6°

6° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 83°, and a typical Sep 30 in Suffolk peaks around 77°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020

A normal year

What a year in Suffolk feels like

Winter

53° / 31°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

70° / 47°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 7

Summer

87° / 66°
Typical high / low · 47 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

72° / 50°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 2
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Suffolk 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
January51°30°3.7" 2.1"111 35° – 47°
February54°32°3.0" 0.5"101 32° – 50°
March61°38°4.1" 0.1"110 44° – 58°
April71°46°3.5" 0100 54° – 64°
May78°56°4.0" 0120 62° – 73°
June86°64°4.5" 0100 71° – 80°
July89°68°5.5" 0110 74° – 82°
August87°67°5.2" 0110 74° – 79°
September82°61°5.5" 0100 69° – 77°
October72°49°4.0" 080 57° – 67°
November62°39°3.4" 090 45° – 56°
December55°33°3.5" 1.4"110 33° – 56°
Year71°49°49.8"4.1"1242

“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 Suffolk

Suffolk gets 50 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.

50 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 87% of U.S. towns
4 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns
2 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 78% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
2.1"
Frost & the growing season

About 208 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first one by November 2. That leaves about 208 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 77% of U.S. towns.

84
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
47
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 Suffolk

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Suffolk, 70% of that work is heating and 30% is cooling.

70%heating
3,536 heating degree daysLess heating than 82% of U.S. towns
1,538 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 80% 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 Suffolk

Suffolk and its neighbors

Suffolk borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 4.0°. Carrsville has both the coldest January nights (29°) and the hottest July afternoons (89°). Suffolk’s January low is 30° and its July high 89°.

Norfolk: January low 33°, July high 88°Hampton: January low 32°, July high 89°Virginia Beach: January low 32°, July high 87°Portsmouth: January low 33°, July high 89°Chesapeake: January low 31°, July high 89°Newport News: January low 32°, July high 89°Carrsville: January low 29°, July high 89°Suffolk: January low 30°, July high 89° SuffolkPortsmouthChesapeakeNewport NewsCarrsville
ColderMilder29° to 33°
Carrsville29.1° −0.6°
Suffolk29.7°
Chesapeake31.0° +1.3°
Newport News31.8° +2.1°
Portsmouth33.1° +3.4°

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

Compared with other towns

How Suffolk compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 75% of U.S. towns61st hottest of 700 Virginia towns
Winter cold30° January low
Milder than 81% of U.S. towns56th mildest of 700 Virginia towns
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 87% of U.S. towns29th wettest of 700 Virginia towns
Snow4" a winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns40th least snowy of 698 Virginia towns
Growing season208 frost-free days
Longer than 77% of U.S. towns193rd 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 Suffolk averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 71% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.5° now 42°, was 41°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 58°, was 58°
☀️ Summer+0.8° now 77°, was 76°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 61°, was 60°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Suffolk’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 33° to 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Suffolk’s climate

What is the coldest month in Suffolk?

January, with a typical high of 51° and a low of 30°.

What is the hottest month in Suffolk?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 47 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Suffolk get?

About 4 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Suffolk?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 2, and the last spring frost by April 7.

What is the rainiest month in Suffolk?

July, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 50 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Suffolk itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Holland 1 E, VA (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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