McDowell County, WV Climate

McDowell, WV County is located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. The climate in McDowell varies throughout the year, with summers that are generally hot and humid, and winters that are cold and snowy. Summers typically have highs in the mid to upper 80s, while winter temperatures can dip as low as the teens or single digits. Precipitation levels are fairly consistent throughout the year, with average yearly totals around 41 inches of rain and 36 inches of snow. The area also experiences frequent thunderstorms during the summer months, which can bring heavy downpours and strong winds. The mountainous terrain makes for a beautiful backdrop all year round for visitors to explore and enjoy.

McDowell County, West Virginia gets 43 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

McDowell County averages 21 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 158 sunny days per year in McDowell County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

McDowell County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 134 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 83 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23
Rain: averages 43 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 21 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for McDowell County is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in West Virginia.

8.8 Summer - 5.4 Winter

June, September and August are the most pleasant months in McDowell County, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	McDowell, West Virginia	United States
	43.3 in.	38.1 in.
	20.9 in.	27.8 in.
	133.9 days	106.2 days
	158 days	205 days
	82.8°	85.8°
	22.5°	21.7°
	7.3	7
	4.1	4.3
	1877 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for McDowell County with an average high temperature of 82.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in West Virginia. In McDowell County, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for McDowell County are June, September and August.

In McDowell County, there are 5.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in West Virginia.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for McDowell County with an average of 22.5°. This is warmer than most places in West Virginia.

In McDowell County, there are 113.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in West Virginia.

In McDowell County, there are 1.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in West Virginia.

The humidity is usually comfortable in McDowell County but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months are July, August and June.

July is the wettest month in McDowell County with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is October with 2.7 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 29% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Winter, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 43.3 inches in McDowell County means that it is drier than most places in West Virginia.

May is the rainiest month in McDowell County with 13.1 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 8.4 rainy days. There are 133.9 rainy days annually in McDowell County, which is less rainy than most places in West Virginia. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 20% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 20.9 inches in McDowell County means that it is less snowy than most places in West Virginia. January is the snowiest month in McDowell County with 7.3 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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