Richmond climate
Richmond (Virginia, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C58 °F, and about 1,182 mm47 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Richmond climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 744 | −327 | 235 | 732.9 | 23 |
| Feb | 948 | −228 | 438 | 702.7 | 20 |
| Mar | 1457 | 235 | 846 | 883.5 | 12 |
| Apr | 2069 | 846 | 1457 | 903.5 | 1 |
| May | 2577 | 1356 | 1967 | 1114.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1865 | 2476 | 1134.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2169 | 2780 | 1124.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3289 | 2068 | 2678 | 1254.9 | 0 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1661 | 2271 | 1164.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 2170 | 949 | 1560 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 1558 | 337 | 948 | 883.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 949 | −131 | 440 | 953.8 | 18 |
| Year | 3391 | −327 | 1458 | 1,18247 | 82 |
“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 | 82% | 57% | 2.3 | 9:50 |
| Feb | 80% | 58% | 3.1 | 10:45 |
| Mar | 78% | 58% | 4.1 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 75% | 56% | 5.2 | 13:07 |
| May | 76% | 59% | 5.8 | 14:10 |
| Jun | 71% | 56% | 6.4 | 14:44 |
| Jul | 68% | 55% | 6.1 | 14:31 |
| Aug | 70% | 54% | 5.4 | 13:36 |
| Sep | 74% | 52% | 4.5 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 76% | 50% | 3.5 | 11:09 |
| Nov | 78% | 49% | 2.7 | 10:05 |
| Dec | 83% | 58% | 2.1 | 9:35 |
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 Richmond is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows −3 °C27 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24.8 °C44.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,182 mm47 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (125 mm4.9 in), the driest is February (70 mm2.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in July to 83% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 49%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (2 mph) in August to 4 km/h (2 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Richmond
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October. Average highs then reach 20 °C69 °F to 28 °C82 °F. Precipitation is 90 mm3.5 in to 116 mm4.6 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °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 Richmond
- Winter (December–February) — highs 744 to 9 °C49 °F, lows −327 to −1 °C31 °F, about 80 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1457 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 235 to 13 °C56 °F, about 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3086 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1865 to 21 °C69 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1558 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 337 to 16 °C61 °F, about 101 mm4.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Richmond compares
The nearest larger place is Norfolk, about 130 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Richmond is on average 1.1 °C2.1 °F cooler. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (2.8 °C5.1 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Richmond is the 119th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 75th 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 Tsuyama (Japan, Cfa), Padua (Italy, Cfa) and Verona (Italy, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Climate in East Hampton 115 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Climate in Norfolk 130 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Climate in Virginia Beach 153 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Climate in Washington 154 km · 14 °C56 °F · 1,153 mm45 in
- Climate in Baltimore 207 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,163 mm46 in
- Climate in Roanoke 221 km · 14 °C56 °F · 1,086 mm43 in
- Climate in Raleigh 224 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,186 mm47 in
- Climate in Greensboro 265 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Richmond?
July is the warmest month in Richmond. Its average high is 33 °C (91 °F) and its average low is 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Richmond?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 7 °C (44 °F) and its average low is -3 °C (27 °F).
When does it rain the most in Richmond?
August is the wettest month with about 125 mm (4.9 in) of precipitation. February is the driest with about 70 mm (2.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Richmond?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and September 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.