West Virginia Climate and Weather

The dramatic landscape of West Virginia makes for interesting weather. Officially classified as humid-subtropical, West Virginia has four distinct seasons: in the low-lying areas and valleys, summers can be quite hot and humid, particularly in the southwestern and eastern panhandle areas (average summer temperatures are around 67 °F (19 °C) along the North Branch Potomac River and 76 °F (24 °C) in the western part of the state). Summer temperatures These two areas often experience milder winters, though throughout the rest of the state, winters are cold. Average winter temperatures in West Virginia range from 26 °F (−4 °C) near the Cheat River to 41 °F (5 °C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. In areas of higher elevation, snowfalls are significant, which makes this season popular with skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts (for example, the average snowfall in the Allegheny Highlands can be up to 180 inches (460 cm) per year). Autumn is a pleasant time of year, and West Virginia boasts spectacular fall foliage. West Virginia can be wet and rainy at any time of the year, with heavy fog in the valleys, however severe weather like tornadoes is uncommon.