Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Charlottesville United StatesIn Charlottesville, the summers are warm and muggy, the winters are very cold and snowy, and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 29°F to 88°F and is rarely below 16°F or above 95°F. Based on the tourism score, the best times of year to visit Charlottesville for warm-weather activities are for the entire month of June and from early August to early October. Average Temperature in CharlottesvilleThe hot season lasts for 3.6 months, from May 28 to September 14, with an average daily high temperature above 79°F. The hottest month of the year in Charlottesville is July, with an average high of 87°F and low of 68°F. The cold season lasts for 3.1 months, from November 28 to March 1, with an average daily high temperature below 54°F. The coldest month of the year in Charlottesville is January, with an average low of 30°F and high of 47°F. Average High and Low Temperature in Charlottesville
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day. Average Hourly Temperature in Charlottesville
frigid
15°F
freezing
32°F
very cold
45°F
cold
55°F
cool
65°F
comfortable
75°F
warm
85°F
hot
95°F
sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
Stojakovo, Macedonia (5,052 miles away) and Qazax, Azerbaijan (5,930 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Charlottesville (view comparison). CloudsIn Charlottesville, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year. The clearer part of the year in Charlottesville begins around July 14 and lasts for 3.9 months, ending around November 12. The clearest month of the year in Charlottesville is September, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 64% of the time. The cloudier part of the year begins around November 12 and lasts for 8.1 months, ending around July 14. The cloudiest month of the year in Charlottesville is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 50% of the time.
PrecipitationA wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Charlottesville varies throughout the year. The wetter season lasts 4.3 months, from April 18 to August 28, with a greater than 29% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Charlottesville is July, with an average of 12.0 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. The drier season lasts 7.7 months, from August 28 to April 18. The month with the fewest wet days in Charlottesville is October, with an average of 6.3 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Charlottesville is July, with an average of 12.0 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 40% on July 14.
RainfallTo show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Charlottesville experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall. Rain falls throughout the year in Charlottesville. The month with the most rain in Charlottesville is May, with an average rainfall of 3.6 inches. The month with the least rain in Charlottesville is February, with an average rainfall of 2.1 inches. Average Monthly Rainfall in Charlottesville
The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
SnowfallAs with rainfall, we consider the snowfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Charlottesville experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly snowfall. The snowy period of the year lasts for 4.1 months, from November 20 to March 22, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow in Charlottesville is February, with an average snowfall of 5.3 inches. The snowless period of the year lasts for 7.9 months, from March 22 to November 20. The least snow falls around July 20, with an average total accumulation of 0.0 inches. Average Monthly Snowfall in Charlottesville
The average snowfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average rainfall.
SunThe length of the day in Charlottesville varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 9 hours, 31 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 14 hours, 49 minutes of daylight. Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Charlottesville
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
The earliest sunrise is at 5:50 AM on June 13, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 51 minutes later at 7:41 AM on November 2. The earliest sunset is at 4:54 PM on December 6, and the latest sunset is 3 hours, 47 minutes later at 8:40 PM on June 27. Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Charlottesville during 2024, starting in the spring on March 10, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 3. Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Charlottesville
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.
The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation. Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Charlottesville
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).
MoonThe figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases. HumidityWe base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night. Charlottesville experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity. The muggier period of the year lasts for 4.0 months, from May 23 to September 24, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 18% of the time. The month with the most muggy days in Charlottesville is July, with 21.2 days that are muggy or worse. The month with the fewest muggy days in Charlottesville is February, with 0.0 days that are muggy or worse.
WindThis section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages. The average hourly wind speed in Charlottesville experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year. The windier part of the year lasts for 6.0 months, from November 3 to May 5, with average wind speeds of more than 4.4 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Charlottesville is February, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.4 miles per hour. The calmer time of year lasts for 6.0 months, from May 5 to November 3. The calmest month of the year in Charlottesville is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 3.3 miles per hour.
The predominant average hourly wind direction in Charlottesville varies throughout the year. The wind is most often from the north for 1.5 months, from August 18 to October 4, with a peak percentage of 32% on September 25. The wind is most often from the west for 10 months, from October 4 to August 18, with a peak percentage of 42% on January 1. Wind Direction in Charlottesville
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).
Best Time of Year to VisitTo characterize how pleasant the weather is in Charlottesville throughout the year, we compute two travel scores. The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Charlottesville for general outdoor tourist activities are for the entire month of June and from early August to early October, with a peak score in the first week of September. Tourism Score in Charlottesville
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Charlottesville for hot-weather activities is from mid June to early September, with a peak score in the last week of July. Beach/Pool Score in Charlottesville
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
MethodologyFor each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed. Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies. Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more. Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter. Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter. Growing SeasonDefinitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere). The growing season in Charlottesville typically lasts for 7.0 months (215 days), from around March 31 to around November 1, rarely starting before March 13 or after April 18, and rarely ending before October 13 or after November 18. Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Charlottesville
frigid
15°F
freezing
32°F
very cold
45°F
cold
55°F
cool
65°F
comfortable
75°F
warm
85°F
hot
95°F
sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.
Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F. Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Charlottesville should appear around March 7, only rarely appearing before February 19 or after March 24. Solar EnergyThis section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation. The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year. The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.8 months, from April 26 to August 19, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.0 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Charlottesville is June, with an average of 6.9 kWh. The darker period of the year lasts for 3.1 months, from November 5 to February 8, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 3.1 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Charlottesville is December, with an average of 2.2 kWh.
TopographyFor the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Charlottesville are 38.029 deg latitude, -78.477 deg longitude, and 459 ft elevation. The topography within 2 miles of Charlottesville contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 820 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 438 feet. Within 10 miles also contains very significant variations in elevation (1,388 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (4,403 feet). The area within 2 miles of Charlottesville is covered by artificial surfaces (82%) and trees (18%), within 10 miles by trees (79%) and cropland (13%), and within 50 miles by trees (74%) and cropland (24%). Data SourcesThis report illustrates the typical weather in Charlottesville, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016. Temperature and Dew PointThere are 3 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Charlottesville. For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Charlottesville according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations. The estimated value at Charlottesville is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Charlottesville and a given station. The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:
![]() To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Charlottesville and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data. Other DataAll data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus. All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid. Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database . Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com . Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors. DisclaimerThe information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site. We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands. We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader. Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page. |