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West Virginia has a somewhat humid continental climate, with
hot summers (cooler in the mountains) and cold winters.
Winter temperatures vary from an average of slightly more
than 34°F (1°C) in the central part of the state, to an
average of nearly 40°F (4°C) in the southwest. Summer
temperatures range from an average of about 66°F (19°C) in
the state's central part to an average of 73°F (23°C) in
the southwest. West Virginia is characterized by an unusual
amount of local climatic variation.
The state has distinct seasons of about equal length. It has
a humid continental climate except for a marine modification
in the lower panhandle. Mean annual temperatures reflecting
latitude and altitude range from about 56º F (13º C) in
the south to 52º F (11º C) in the north and 48º F (9º C)
in the most mountainous regions. January is the coldest
month, with a statewide average of 33º F (1º C), and July
is warmest, with a 73º F (23º C) average. The growing
season averages 160 days but ranges from 120 to 180 days.
Mean annual precipitation varies from more than 60 inches
(1,520
millimetres) in the mountainous areas to 35 inches in the
eastern panhandle. Snowfall, which makes up some 8 percent
of the total precipitation, varies from a seasonal average
of less than 20 inches in the southwest to more than 64
inches in the northern mountains.
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