West Virginia Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, and Wheeling
Summary
West Virginia experienced its 12th warmest July on record as temperature anomalies climbed 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, accompanied by torrential rains that triggered flash flooding across the state. The severe downpours prompted a statewide state of emergency across all 55 counties and claimed at least two lives, while global land temperatures surged to their 3rd warmest July on record. Unseasonably warm and unsettled conditions are expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
July 2026 brought an average temperature of 23.39°C to West Virginia, placing it 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline and ranking 12th highest in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures averaged 29.06°C, which sat 1°C above baseline and ranked 25th highest. Total monthly precipitation reached 120.9 mm, virtually matching historical norms with a slight 0.5 mm anomaly to rank 42nd on record. Globally, land temperatures averaged 15.8°C, marking the 3rd warmest July on record worldwide at 1.6°C above average.
What changed
Over the three-month period from May to July 2026, West Virginia recorded an average temperature of 19.7°C, which sat 0.7°C above the long-term baseline and ranked 25th warmest on record. Maximum temperatures over the same period averaged 26.09°C, running 0.4°C above baseline. Precipitation during these three months totaled 368.55 mm, an excess of 39.8 mm that ranked 34th highest. On a global scale, the May to July land temperature average of 14.34°C reached 1.5°C above baseline, making it the 2nd warmest such period on record. Within the NOAA Ohio Valley climate region tracked at US Ohio Valley, West Virginia stood out as the warmest state relative to its baseline, running 0.42°C above the regional group average.
What’s driving change?
The elevated warmth across the state aligns with broader global trends where environments. Meandering atmospheric patterns linked to allowed slow-moving storms to park over the Appalachians, releasing localised torrential rainfall. All of West Virginia's 1 flood this year has happened in the past month, bringing destructive high water that is tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker. All of West Virginia's 2 wildfires this year have also occurred in the past month. All of West Virginia's 1 tropical cyclone this year has happened in the past month.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center indicate that above-average temperatures and heightened precipitation probabilities are favoured across West Virginia over the next 1-3 months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – West Virginia
Köppen Dfa · ContinentalWest Virginia has a continental climate (Köppen Dfa: Humid continental - hot summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.2°C, while January is the coldest at -0.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1216mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – West Virginia
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – West Virginia
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – West Virginia
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – West Virginia
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – West Virginia
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in West Virginia. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (10.7°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 23.3°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.4°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for West Virginia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in West Virginia changing?
West Virginia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in West Virginia?
West Virginia has a continental climate (Köppen Dfa: Humid continental - hot summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.2°C, while January is the coldest at -0.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1216mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for West Virginia come from?
Climate data for West Virginia comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the West Virginia climate data cover?
The West Virginia climate profile covers Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg and surrounding areas. West Virginia climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the West Virginia climate update refreshed?
The West Virginia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the West Virginia climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the West Virginia climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.