Climate and average weather in Waynesboro

In Waynesboro, the summers are hot, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are cold, snowy, and partly cloudy.

Best: mid April to late June

Over the course of the year, the temperature in Waynesboro typically varies from 26°F to 84°F, and is rarely below 12°F or above 91°F. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Waynesboro for warm-weather activities are from mid April to late June and early August to late October.

Hottest
Jul
84°
Coldest
Jan
26°
Wettest
Sep
4.4 in
Driest
Feb
2.8 in
Rain / yr
41.7 in
117 wet days
Daylight
9.4–14.6 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
1,286 ft
38.1°N
Clearest
Oct
50% cloud

Waynesboro is independent city in Virginia, United States.

Density
546/km²
people per km²
Founded
1798

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Waynesboro weather by month, at a glance

The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.

Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid April to late June.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in Waynesboro, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

The hot season lasts 4.1 months, from May 22 to September 22, with daily high temperatures above 74°F. The hottest month of the year in Waynesboro is July, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F.

The cool season lasts 3.1 months, from November 30 to March 2, with daily high temperatures below 50°F. The coldest month of the year in Waynesboro is January, with an average low of 26°F and high of 42°F.

Days typically run about 19°F warmer than nights year-round.

20°40°60°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
Jan4226
Feb4628
Mar5435
Apr6544
May7253
Jun8061
Jul8465
Aug8264
Sep7657
Oct6545
Nov5435
Dec4629

How hot and cold Waynesboro really feels

Feels-like highFeels-like lowactual air temp

The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.

On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about 18°F (around January 22), with roughly 134 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 32°F), worst in January.

20°40°60°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels-like high (°F)Air high (°F)Feels-like low (°F)Air low (°F)
Jan42421926
Feb46462128
Mar54542935
Apr65654144
May72725253
Jun80806161
Jul85846565
Aug83826464
Sep76765757
Oct65654345
Nov54543135
Dec46462329

Average hourly temperature in Waynesboro

A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 84°F, and coldest before dawn in January, near 26°F.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

Waynesboro weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 26°3.18.22.99.70.4
Feb46° / 28°2.88310.51.2
Mar54° / 35°3.810.32.111.73.4
Apr65° / 44°3.510.30.2135.7
May72° / 53°4.012.60146.3
Jun80° / 61°3.611.9014.66.1
Jul84° / 65°3.912.5014.45.3
Aug82° / 64°3.210.6013.56.1
Sep76° / 57°4.49.2012.37.0
Oct65° / 45°3.27.40.1116.4
Nov54° / 35°2.97.60.49.93.7
Dec46° / 29°3.38.129.41.2

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

Waynesboro gets about 41.7 in of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.

The wetter season lasts 5.6 months, from around Mar 14 to Aug 29, peaking in May at about 41% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Oct 13.

September is the wettest month by volume, with 4.4 in over about 9 wet days; February is the driest, with 2.8 in. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdrierwetterdriermostly drysome rainoften wetvery wetMay 15 · 41%Oct 13 · 24%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan268
Feb288
Mar3210
Apr3510
May4013
Jun4012
Jul3913
Aug3511
Sep299
Oct257
Nov258
Dec268

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, Waynesboro collects about 41.7 in of rain across 117 wet days — roughly 3.5 in in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. September is the wettest month with 4.4 in, while February is the driest at just 2.8 in. The three wettest months alone bring about 30% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

0123456JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec3.12.83.83.54.03.63.93.24.43.22.93.3
Rainfall (in)Rain daysSnow days
Jan3.183
Feb2.883
Mar3.8102
Apr3.5100
May4.0130
Jun3.6120
Jul3.9130
Aug3.2110
Sep4.490
Oct3.270
Nov2.980
Dec3.382

Snow in Waynesboro

Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.

Waynesboro averages about 11 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Nov 14 to Apr 8 — about 4.8 months.

February is snowiest, with roughly 3 days of snow and an estimated 10 in of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 31 in of snow.

0246JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsnow seasonsnow seasonFeb 5
Snow daysSnowfall (in)
Jan37
Feb310
Mar27
Apr00
May00
Jun00
Jul00
Aug00
Sep00
Oct00
Nov01
Dec26

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In Waynesboro, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around August 7 and lasts for 4.8 months, ending around December 29. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 57% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around March 11 and lasts for 4.9 months, ending around August 6. The cloudiest month is May, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 57% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecOct 19 · 57%Apr 29 · 42%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercastcloudierclearer
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan5149
Feb4951
Mar4852
Apr4654
May4357
Jun4654
Jul4852
Aug5149
Sep5347
Oct5743
Nov5446
Dec5050

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.

The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 8, brings about 14 h 36 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 24 min — a swing of roughly 5 h 12 min.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan9.77:365:14
Feb10.57:145:46
Mar11.76:346:16
Apr13.05:466:45
May14.05:107:13
Jun14.64:577:35
Jul14.45:097:33
Aug13.55:357:04
Sep12.36:036:17
Oct11.06:315:30
Nov9.97:044:58
Dec9.47:314:53

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

Waynesboro averages about 10 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 7 and 13 days.

The sunnier stretch runs 5.4 months, from around Sep 3 to Feb 13. The sunniest month is November, with roughly 12 sunny days (mixed).

The greyest month is May, down near 8 sunny days — about 38% fewer than the November peak.

05101520JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsunniergreyersunniergloomymixedbrightNov 113 daysMay 227 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan11Mixed
Feb9Mixed
Mar10Mixed
Apr9Mixed
May8Gloomy
Jun7Gloomy
Jul8Gloomy
Aug9Mixed
Sep11Mixed
Oct13Mixed
Nov12Mixed
Dec11Mixed

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.

Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.

In Waynesboro, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.

The more humid part of the year lasts 4.4 months, from around May 17 to September 26. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 78% of the time.

The most comfortable stretch runs from around September 27 to May 16, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan 25 · 100%Jul 24 · 18%muggycomfortabledryhumidcomfortablehumidcomfortable
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
Jan991000
Feb1000000
Mar991000
Apr918100
May57201840
Jun222127291
Jul81430426
Aug101831384
Sep382422151
Oct8112520
Nov973000
Dec991000

Wind

Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Waynesboro is typically calm, near 5 mph, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.6 months, from around Oct 25 to May 13. The windiest month is March, averaging about 6 mph (calm).

The calmer part of the year runs from around May 14 to Oct 24, with August the calmest month at about 4 mph.

0510JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwindiercalmerwindiercalmlight breezeMar 4 · 6 mphAug 11 · 4 mph
Wind speed (mph)Feels
Jan6calm
Feb6calm
Mar6calm
Apr6calm
May5calm
Jun4calm
Jul4calm
Aug4calm
Sep4calm
Oct5calm
Nov5calm
Dec6calm

Best time to visit Waynesboro

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Waynesboro throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around late April, Waynesboro is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.

Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.

The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 64°F and 82°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Waynesboro for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid April to late June and again from early August to late October, with a peak score in the third week of September.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationSep 16 · 7.1

The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan0.4poor
Feb1.2poor
Mar3.4poor
Apr5.7good
May6.2good
Jun6.1good
Jul5.3fair
Aug6.1good
Sep7.0good
Oct6.3good
Nov3.7fair
Dec1.2poor

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 75°F and 93°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Waynesboro for hot-weather activities is from late May to late September, with a peak score in the last week of August.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationAug 23 · 6.7

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).

What to pack for Waynesboro, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.

For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 84°F), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 42°F), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In July, Waynesboro sees daytime highs around 84°F and nights near 65°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

UV index (midday) in Waynesboro by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Waynesboro peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Average hourly UV index in Waynesboro

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.

The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan00
Feb2.50
Mar50
Apr6.52.5
May84.5
Jun8.55.5
Jul85.5
Aug7.54
Sep61.5
Oct40
Nov00
Dec00

Air quality in Waynesboro by month

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.

Air quality in Waynesboro is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1216 µg/m³Nov 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayTypical season (≥50%)

The growing season in Waynesboro typically lasts about 268 days, from around March 9 to December 1 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from April 12 to October 23.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecgrowing seasonMar 950%Apr 1290%Oct 2390%Dec 150%
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan2831
Feb3128
Mar6131
Apr929
May1000
Jun1000
Jul1000
Aug1000
Sep1000
Oct938
Nov6530
Dec3831

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 50°F)Frost-free shaded

Growing degree days tally heat above 50°F: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Waynesboro banks about 3,273 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.

01,0002,0003,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°F·days)
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr134
May385
Jun619
Jul762
Aug713
Sep493
Oct166
Nov0
Dec0

Solar energy

Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Waynesboro receives about 4.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.1 and 6.3 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Mar 14 to Sep 17. The brightest month is July, averaging about 6.0 kWh/m² (bright).

The dimmest month is December, down near 2.1 kWh/m² — roughly 64% less than the July peak.

01234567JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdimmerbrighterdimmerdimmoderatebrightintenseJul 16.3 kWhDec 182.1 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan2.4Moderate
Feb3.3Moderate
Mar4.3Bright
Apr5.3Bright
May5.8Bright
Jun6.2Intense
Jul6.0Bright
Aug5.3Bright
Sep4.3Bright
Oct3.5Moderate
Nov2.6Moderate
Dec2.1Moderate

Where is Waynesboro?

Waynesboro sits at 38.1°N, 78.9°W, 1,286 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Staunton, 11 mi away.

Topography around Waynesboro

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Waynesboro.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Waynesboro has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 620 ft around an average of 1,388 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,058 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,400 ft.

The land around Waynesboro is covered by trees (62%) and grassland (20%) within 2 miles, trees (64%) and grassland (27%) within 10 miles, and trees (78%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
620 ft
10 miles
3,058 ft
50 miles
4,400 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
Nearby: Staunton 11 mi · Charlottesville 22 mi · Harrisonburg 26 mi · Lynchburg 47 mi · West Lynchburg 48 mi · Culpeper 56 mi · Front Royal 70 mi · Short Pump 75 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Waynesboro (38.0685°, -78.8895°, elevation 1,286 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).