Richmond climate
Richmond is warmest in July, with average highs of 31 °C, and coldest in January, when nights average -0.3 °C. September is the wettest month (111 mm) and February the driest (75 mm). Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
Across a full year Richmond averages 1,114 mm of rain, 132 days above 25 °C and 58 days below freezing.
United States · 64 m elevation · population 226,610 · 1991–2020 normals
Temperature below 0 °C to above 30 °C Rain band height is that month’s share of the wettest month
- Warmest month July 31 °C
- Coldest month January -0.3 °C
- Driest month February 75 mm
- Wettest month September 111 mm
- Least cloud October 47 % cloud
- Hottest on record July 40 °C
- Coldest on record February -23 °C
What to expectRichmond through the year
Richmond has a clear annual cycle: average daily highs run from 8.2 °C in January to 31 °C in July, a swing of 23 °C in mean temperature across the year.
Counted across a normal year, 132 days a year reach 25 °C, 58 of them reach 30 °C, 58 nights drop below freezing. The warmest reading in the 1991–2020 record is 40 °C, in July.
Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year, from 75 mm in February to 111 mm in September. There is no dry season to aim for.
Month by month
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.2 °C | 86 mm | 54 % |
| February | 10.1 °C | 75 mm | 56 % |
| March | 14.6 °C | 102 mm | 56 % |
| April | 20.3 °C | 81 mm | 55 % |
| May | 24.7 °C | 84 mm | 58 % |
| June | 29.1 °C | 98 mm | 58 % |
| July | 31.4 °C | 107 mm | 56 % |
| August | 30.1 °C | 105 mm | 55 % |
| September | 26.5 °C | 111 mm | 53 % |
| October | 20.8 °C | 94 mm | 47 % |
| November | 14.8 °C | 82 mm | 49 % |
| December | 10.0 °C | 90 mm | 55 % |
Temperature month by month
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Mean | Record high | Record low | Days above 25 °C | Days above 30 °C | Days below 0 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.2 °C | -0.3 °C | 3.3 °C | 24.2 °C | -21.0 °C | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| February | 10.1 °C | 0.3 °C | 4.5 °C | 25.3 °C | -23.2 °C | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| March | 14.6 °C | 3.8 °C | 8.5 °C | 29.1 °C | -18.8 °C | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| April | 20.3 °C | 9.2 °C | 14.2 °C | 32.0 °C | -2.2 °C | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| May | 24.7 °C | 14.3 °C | 19.1 °C | 36.5 °C | 1.6 °C | 15 | 4 | 0 |
| June | 29.1 °C | 19.0 °C | 23.7 °C | 39.3 °C | 7.6 °C | 26 | 13 | 0 |
| July | 31.4 °C | 21.6 °C | 26.0 °C | 40.1 °C | 13.8 °C | 30 | 20 | 0 |
| August | 30.1 °C | 20.7 °C | 24.9 °C | 39.5 °C | 13.1 °C | 29 | 15 | 0 |
| September | 26.5 °C | 17.5 °C | 21.5 °C | 36.8 °C | 7.6 °C | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| October | 20.8 °C | 11.4 °C | 15.6 °C | 36.2 °C | 0.0 °C | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 14.8 °C | 5.6 °C | 9.6 °C | 27.3 °C | -5.7 °C | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| December | 10.0 °C | 1.6 °C | 5.2 °C | 24.9 °C | -13.8 °C | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Rain, sun and wind month by month
| Month | Rainfall | Wet days | Daylight | Cloud cover | Humidity | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 86 mm | 9 | 9.9 h/day | 54 % | 67 % | 17 km/h |
| February | 75 mm | 8 | 11 h/day | 56 % | 66 % | 17 km/h |
| March | 102 mm | 10 | 12 h/day | 56 % | 65 % | 18 km/h |
| April | 81 mm | 9 | 13 h/day | 55 % | 65 % | 18 km/h |
| May | 84 mm | 11 | 14 h/day | 58 % | 69 % | 15 km/h |
| June | 98 mm | 11 | 15 h/day | 58 % | 70 % | 14 km/h |
| July | 107 mm | 13 | 15 h/day | 56 % | 71 % | 12 km/h |
| August | 105 mm | 12 | 14 h/day | 55 % | 73 % | 12 km/h |
| September | 111 mm | 9 | 12 h/day | 53 % | 73 % | 13 km/h |
| October | 94 mm | 7 | 11 h/day | 47 % | 71 % | 14 km/h |
| November | 82 mm | 8 | 10 h/day | 49 % | 70 % | 16 km/h |
| December | 90 mm | 9 | 9.6 h/day | 55 % | 71 % | 16 km/h |
How Richmond compares
The same four figures for nearby destinations, so the numbers above have something to be read against. Summer high is the warmest month's average high; winter low is the coldest month's average low.
| Destination | Summer high | Winter low | Rain per year | Days above 25 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 31 °C | -0.3 °C | 1,114 mm | 132 |
| Newport News · United States | 31 °C | 1.5 °C | 1,145 mm | 132 |
| Norfolk · United States | 30 °C | 1.6 °C | 1,180 mm | 132 |
| Arlington · United States | 31 °C | -2.1 °C | 1,113 mm | 119 |
| Virginia Beach · United States | 29 °C | 2.7 °C | 1,161 mm | 107 |
| Washington · United States | 31 °C | -1.9 °C | 1,113 mm | 124 |
Where Richmond ranks
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Places with the best weather in North America in May | 42ndof 50 | 87/100 |
Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Richmond.
QuestionsCommon questions about Richmond’s climate
When is the best time to visit Richmond?
That depends on what you want, so the honest answer is a comparison rather than a single month. May, June, September sit closest to 20 °C on average, July is the warmest month and February the driest. The month-by-month table above has the full picture.
How hot does Richmond get?
In July, the warmest month, daily highs average 31 °C. About 58 days a year pass 30 °C. The highest value in the 1991–2020 record is 40 °C.
How cold does it get in winter?
Nights average -0.3 °C in January, the coldest month. A normal year has 58 nights below freezing.
Which month is wettest in Richmond?
September, averaging 111 mm over 9 days with rain. The driest month is February with 75 mm. The year as a whole averages 1,114 mm.
Are these figures a forecast?
No. They are 1991–2020 climate normals: the average of thirty years, which describes what a month is usually like in Richmond rather than what any particular week will bring. Individual years can differ substantially from the normal.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: monthly rankings, daylight hours, beach and comfort scores. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.