Norfolk climate
Norfolk (Virginia, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C60 °F, and about 1,207 mm48 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Norfolk climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 846 | 134 | 440 | 732.9 | 13 |
| Feb | 948 | 235 | 541 | 732.9 | 10 |
| Mar | 1254 | 541 | 947 | 853.4 | 3 |
| Apr | 1864 | 1050 | 1457 | 883.5 | 0 |
| May | 2373 | 1560 | 1966 | 983.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 2882 | 2169 | 2476 | 1134.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 3086 | 2374 | 2780 | 1315.2 | 0 |
| Aug | 2984 | 2373 | 2679 | 1385.4 | 0 |
| Sep | 2679 | 2068 | 2373 | 1305.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2170 | 1457 | 1864 | 1044.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1559 | 846 | 1153 | 823.2 | 0 |
| Dec | 1051 | 439 | 745 | 913.6 | 5 |
| Year | 3086 | 134 | 1660 | 1,20748 | 32 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 56% | 2.5 | 9:54 |
| Feb | 80% | 57% | 3.2 | 10:47 |
| Mar | 79% | 56% | 4.2 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 78% | 53% | 5.4 | 13:06 |
| May | 78% | 55% | 6.0 | 14:07 |
| Jun | 75% | 55% | 6.4 | 14:40 |
| Jul | 74% | 54% | 6.2 | 14:27 |
| Aug | 76% | 53% | 5.5 | 13:33 |
| Sep | 78% | 53% | 4.5 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 78% | 47% | 3.5 | 11:10 |
| Nov | 79% | 47% | 2.7 | 10:09 |
| Dec | 82% | 56% | 2.2 | 9:39 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Norfolk is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 8 °C46 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 22.4 °C40.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,207 mm48 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (138 mm5.4 in), the driest is February (73 mm2.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 74% in July to 82% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 47%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in August to 14 km/h (9 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Norfolk
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and October. Average highs then reach 21 °C70 °F to 28 °C82 °F. Precipitation is 98 mm3.9 in to 113 mm4.4 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 8 °C46 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Norfolk
- Winter (December–February) — highs 846 to 10 °C51 °F, lows 134 to 4 °C39 °F, about 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1254 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 541 to 15 °C60 °F, about 90 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2882 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 2169 to 23 °C74 °F, about 127 mm5.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1559 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 846 to 20 °C68 °F, about 105 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Norfolk compares
The nearest larger place is Virginia Beach, about 27 km to the east. Compared with it, Norfolk has practically the same average temperature. It receives a similar amount of precipitation.
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Norfolk is the 101st warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 65th wettest. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Hiroshima (Japan, Cfa), Fukuyama (Japan, Cfa) and Hirakata (Japan, Cfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Chesapeake (pop. 235,429) and Newport News (pop. 186,247). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Norfolk, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in East Hampton 22 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Climate in Virginia Beach 27 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Climate in Richmond 130 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,182 mm47 in
- Climate in Washington 237 km · 14 °C56 °F · 1,153 mm45 in
- Climate in Raleigh 242 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,186 mm47 in
- Climate in Baltimore 273 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,163 mm46 in
- Climate in Fayetteville 307 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,237 mm49 in
- Climate in Atlantic City 324 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,203 mm47 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Norfolk?
July is the warmest month in Norfolk. Its average high is 30 °C (86 °F) and its average low is 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Norfolk?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 8 °C (46 °F) and its average low is 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Norfolk?
August is the wettest month with about 138 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation. February is the driest with about 73 mm (2.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Norfolk?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.