Gary, WV climate
Gary has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Gary feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Gary 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 | 43° | 24° | 3.4" | 9.8" | 15 | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 26° | 3.3" | 4.5" | 13 | 4 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 32° | 4.0" | 2.7" | 15 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| April | 68° | 40° | 4.3" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 49° | 4.8" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 4.4" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.9" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 2.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 32° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 3.4" | 2.6" | 14 | 2 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 45.3" | 20.0" | 151 | 14 |
“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 Gary
Gary gets 45 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 14 days of the year.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 17. That leaves about 175 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 54% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Gary
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Gary, 89% of that work is heating and 11% 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 Gary 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 Gary averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Gary’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 26° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Gary’s climate
What is the coldest month in Gary?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 24°.
What is the hottest month in Gary?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Gary get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Gary?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Gary?
July, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 45 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Gary itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Pineville, WV (15 mi, snow) and Elkhorn, 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.