Wakefield has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Wakefield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wakefield’s climate
Read from where Wakefield sits among Virginia’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 30.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
6 inches of snow, 50 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Wakefield feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Living with Wakefield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
200 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
About 6" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 71% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 44 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 90°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wakefield averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 56% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Wakefield compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Virginia.
Wakefield 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 | 50° | 29° | 3.7" | 3.5" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 2.9" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 55° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 5.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 5.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 5.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 3.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 3.6" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 55° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 49.6" | 6.4" | 121 | 4 |
Heating and cooling a home in Wakefield
71% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 55°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Wakefield’s climate
What is the coldest month in Wakefield?
January, with a typical high of 50° and a low of 29°.
What is the hottest month in Wakefield?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 44 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Wakefield get?
About 6 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Wakefield?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 30, and the last spring frost by April 12.
What is the rainiest month in Wakefield?
July, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 50 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wakefield.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Wakefield itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wakefield 1nw, VA (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.