Charleston Metro Area, WV Climate

The climate in the Charleston, WV Metro area is varied and mostly temperate. Summers tend to be warm and humid with temperatures in the mid 80s and occasional days reaching into the upper 90s. Winters are generally mild, with temperatures ranging from the low 30s to low 50s. Rainfall is abundant throughout the year, averaging around 4-5 inches per month during most months of the year. The area also experiences a moderate amount of snowfall depending upon elevation, with an average of 7-8 inches in the lowest elevations and up to 15 inches in higher areas.

Charleston Metro Area, West Virginia gets 46 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Charleston Metro Area averages 27 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 166 sunny days per year in Charleston Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Charleston Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 149 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 85 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 24
Rain: averages 46 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 27 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the Charleston metro area is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in West Virginia.

8.4 Summer - 5.2 Winter

September, June and May are the most pleasant months in the Charleston metro area, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Charleston, West Virginia	United States
	45.9 in.	38.1 in.
	27.2 in.	27.8 in.
	149.2 days	106.2 days
	166 days	205 days
	85.1°	85.8°
	23.5°	21.7°
	7.1	7
	4.1	4.3
	1048 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 the Charleston metro area with an average high temperature of 85.1°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in West Virginia. In the Charleston metro area, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Charleston metro area are September, May and June.

In the Charleston metro area, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in West Virginia.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Charleston metro area with an average of 23.5°. This is warmer than most places in West Virginia.

In the Charleston metro area, there are 107.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in West Virginia.

In the Charleston metro area, there are 1.3 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 the Charleston metro area 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 the Charleston metro area with 5.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is October with 2.9 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 29% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 45.9 inches in the Charleston metro area means that it is about average compared to other places in West Virginia.

January is the rainiest month in the Charleston metro area with 15.0 days of rain, and September is the driest month with only 9.2 rainy days. There are 149.2 rainy days annually in the Charleston metro area, which is rainier than most places in West Virginia. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 27.2 inches in the Charleston metro area means that it is about average compared to other places in West Virginia. January is the snowiest month in the Charleston metro area with 9.1 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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