Prosperity, WV climate
Prosperity has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Prosperity feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Prosperity 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 | 40° | 23° | 3.6" | 15.5" | 15 | 11 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 3.4" | 15.2" | 14 | 8 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 4.3" | 8.9" | 16 | 5 | 36° – 53° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 4.2" | 1.5" | 14 | 1 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 5.0" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 4.9" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 61° | 5.2" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 60° | 4.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.0" | 1.4" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 3.0" | 2.3" | 12 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.8" | 11.1" | 15 | 7 | 24° – 47° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 48.4" | 55.9" | 161 | 34 |
“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 Prosperity
Prosperity gets 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 34 days of the year.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first one by October 21. That leaves about 180 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 53% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Prosperity
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Prosperity, 88% of that work is heating and 12% 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 Prosperity 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 Prosperity averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Prosperity’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 24° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Prosperity’s climate
What is the coldest month in Prosperity?
January, with a typical high of 40° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Prosperity?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 61°. About 1 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Prosperity get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Prosperity?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 22.
What is the rainiest month in Prosperity?
July, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Prosperity itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.