Portsmouth weather by month
What a typical year looks like in Portsmouth, Virginia: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Norfolk International Airport, 15 km from Portsmouth; records cover 1874–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 49.2 in1249 mm
- Snow a year
- 6 in16 cm
- Last spring freeze
- Mar 17
- First fall freeze
- Nov 18
- Heating degree days
- 3,070
- Cooling degree days
- 1,872
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are 21°−6° (heating, 99%) and 97°36° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
Portsmouth in January
Highs average 51°10° and lows 34°1°, with 3.4 in87 mm of precipitation and 3 in8 cm of snow in a typical January.
- Record high
- 84°29° (1931)
- Record low
- −3°−19° (1985)
- Heating degree days
- 709
- Cooling degree days
- 1
Portsmouth in February
Highs average 53°12° and lows 35°2°, with 2.9 in74 mm of precipitation and 1.5 in3.8 cm of snow in a typical February.
- Record high
- 82°28° (1890)
- Record low
- 2°−17° (1895)
- Heating degree days
- 582
- Cooling degree days
- 1
Portsmouth in March
Highs average 60°16° and lows 41°5°, with 3.7 in94 mm of precipitation and 0.4 in1 cm of snow in a typical March.
- Record high
- 92°33° (1907)
- Record low
- 14°−10° (1888)
- Heating degree days
- 453
- Cooling degree days
- 9
Portsmouth in April
Highs average 70°21° and lows 50°10°, with 3.4 in86 mm of precipitation in a typical April.
- Record high
- 97°36° (1960)
- Record low
- 23°−5° (1923)
- Heating degree days
- 201
- Cooling degree days
- 52
Portsmouth in May
Highs average 77°25° and lows 59°15°, with 3.8 in96 mm of precipitation in a typical May.
- Record high
- 100°38° (1991)
- Record low
- 36°2° (1956)
- Heating degree days
- 52
- Cooling degree days
- 153
Portsmouth in June
Highs average 85°30° and lows 68°20°, with 4.4 in113 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 102°39° (1874)
- Record low
- 45°7° (1967)
- Heating degree days
- 4
- Cooling degree days
- 353
Portsmouth in July
Highs average 89°32° and lows 73°23°, with 6.1 in154 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 105°41° (2010)
- Record low
- 54°12° (1978)
- Heating degree days
- 0
- Cooling degree days
- 499
Portsmouth in August
Highs average 87°31° and lows 72°22°, with 5.9 in149 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 105°41° (1918)
- Record low
- 49°9° (1982)
- Heating degree days
- 0
- Cooling degree days
- 442
Portsmouth in September
Highs average 81°27° and lows 67°19°, with 5.4 in137 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 100°38° (1895)
- Record low
- 40°4° (1888)
- Heating degree days
- 5
- Cooling degree days
- 275
Portsmouth in OctoberThis month
Highs average 72°22° and lows 55°13°, with 3.9 in98 mm of precipitation in a typical October.
- Record high
- 95°35° (1954)
- Record low
- 27°−3° (1976)
- Heating degree days
- 115
- Cooling degree days
- 75
Portsmouth in November
Highs average 62°17° and lows 44°7°, with 3.1 in79 mm of precipitation in a typical November.
- Record high
- 86°30° (1974)
- Record low
- 17°−8° (1929)
- Heating degree days
- 362
- Cooling degree days
- 10
Portsmouth in December
Highs average 55°13° and lows 38°3°, with 3.3 in83 mm of precipitation and 1.1 in2.8 cm of snow in a typical December.
- Record high
- 82°28° (2015)
- Record low
- 5°−15° (1917)
- Heating degree days
- 587
- Cooling degree days
- 2