Roanoke climate
Roanoke (Virginia, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C56 °F, and about 1,086 mm43 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Roanoke climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 643 | −426 | 134 | 692.7 |
| Feb | 847 | −327 | 337 | 722.8 |
| Mar | 1356 | 134 | 745 | 843.3 |
| Apr | 2068 | 745 | 1356 | 993.9 |
| May | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 1164.6 |
| Jun | 2983 | 1763 | 2373 | 1054.1 |
| Jul | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 1094.3 |
| Aug | 3188 | 1865 | 2576 | 863.4 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 963.8 |
| Oct | 2169 | 846 | 1458 | 883.5 |
| Nov | 1457 | 236 | 846 | 773.0 |
| Dec | 847 | −129 | 338 | 853.3 |
| Year | 3188 | −426 | 1456 | 1,08643 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 59% | 2.3 | 9:52 |
| Feb | 81% | 61% | 3.1 | 10:46 |
| Mar | 79% | 60% | 4.1 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 77% | 57% | 5.2 | 13:07 |
| May | 79% | 63% | 5.7 | 14:09 |
| Jun | 76% | 58% | 6.2 | 14:43 |
| Jul | 73% | 59% | 6.0 | 14:29 |
| Aug | 71% | 58% | 5.3 | 13:35 |
| Sep | 71% | 52% | 4.4 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 75% | 51% | 3.5 | 11:09 |
| Nov | 77% | 51% | 2.7 | 10:07 |
| Dec | 83% | 61% | 2.0 | 9:36 |
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 Roanoke is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 6 °C43 °F and lows −4 °C26 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 23.8 °C42.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,086 mm43 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (116 mm4.6 in), the driest is January (69 mm2.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 71% in August to 83% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 0 km/h (0 mph) in May to 1 km/h (1 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 13 cm).
Best time to visit Roanoke
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 88 mm3.5 in to 116 mm4.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 6 °C43 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to 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 Roanoke
- Winter (December–February) — highs 643 to 8 °C47 °F, lows −426 to −1 °C29 °F, about 75 mm3.0 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 1356 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 134 to 13 °C55 °F, about 100 mm3.9 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 2983 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1763 to 19 °C66 °F, about 100 mm3.9 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 1457 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 236 to 14 °C58 °F, about 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Roanoke compares
Compared with Winston-Salem, about 133 km to the south, Roanoke is on average 0.9 °C1.7 °F cooler and receives 5% less precipitation (1,086 mm43 in vs 1,147 mm45 in). The difference is largest in February (1.6 °C2.8 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Roanoke is the 126th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 94th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Udine (Italy, Cfa), Maykop (Russia, Cfa) and Novara (Italy, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Winston-Salem 133 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Greensboro 134 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- High Point 146 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Charleston 191 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,128 mm44 in
- Raleigh 203 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,186 mm47 in
- Richmond 221 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,182 mm47 in
- Charlotte 241 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Fayetteville 264 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,237 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Roanoke?
July is the warmest month in Roanoke, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Roanoke?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 6 °C (43 °F) and an average low of -4 °C (26 °F).
When does it rain the most in Roanoke?
May is the wettest month with about 116 mm (4.6 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 69 mm (2.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Roanoke?
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 — most of all 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 561 m, while Roanoke lies at about 285 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.8 °C3.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.