Chatham, Virginia Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Chatham weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Clear——87°50°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——92°58°+5°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——93°64°+1°
- SundayJun 7Overcast26%—91°65°-2°
- MondayJun 8Heavy Drizzle21%0.02″85°66°-6°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast11%—83°61°-2°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast12%—88°62°+5°
PM2.5 at 5.2 µg/m³ (AQI 29) with a 0.91 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust. AQI down 18 over the last 6 hours — air quality is improving sharply.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 5.2 µg/m³ (AQI 29) with a 0.91 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.91
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 3:36 AM
- Moonset
- 1:27 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Chatham at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 27°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 28 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Chatham's warmest month is July (~76°F mean) and its coldest is January (~36°F). Rainfall peaks in September (5.0 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 4.2″ | 7 |
| February | 38° | 2.8″ | 6 |
| March | 46° | 4.0″ | 7 |
| April | 55° | 3.9″ | 7 |
| May | 63° | 4.5″ | 8 |
| June | 71° | 4.2″ | 7 |
| July | 76° | 4.2″ | 8 |
| August | 74° | 4.1″ | 7 |
| September | 68° | 5.0″ | 6 |
| October | 56° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| November | 46° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| December | 39° | 3.8″ | 7 |
Regional context
Chatham's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 36°F to a July mean of 76°F — a 40°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 47.7 inches spread across roughly 82 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Rainfall stays relatively even across the calendar: September tops out at 5.0 inches across 6.2 days with measurable rain, and February settles around 2.8 inches across 5.9 rainy days — a comparatively narrow seasonal range. The temperate, evenly-distributed pattern groups Chatham with places like Blairs, VA, Gretna, VA and Mount Hermon, VA, where seasonal storm tracks deliver moisture more uniformly than the continental interior.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, and basil — typically wait two weeks past that date to avoid late spring cold snaps. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. These are 30-year central tendencies; year-to-year frost dates can move by up to two weeks. Local features matter: a south-facing slope inside Chatham typically runs 3-5 days ahead of the regional last-frost date, while a low-lying lot along a creek or drainage can lag the same date by a week or more on calm clear nights.
Similar climates: Blairs, VA, Gretna, VA, Mount Hermon, VA, Danville, VA, Motley, VA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Chatham?
- Chatham's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Chatham?
- September is the wettest month with about 5.0 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 48 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Chatham?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 76°F.
- What is the coldest month in Chatham?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 36°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Chatham?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Chatham get?
- Chatham averages about 82 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Chatham?
- Chatham's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Chatham, Virginia sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 36°F while July averages 76°F — a 40°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Chatham receives about 48 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 82 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (36.8°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.