Richmond, the capital of Virginia, sits on the James River at the fall line in eastern Virginia, where the Piedmont meets the coastal plain at approximately 37.54°N, 77.44°W. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — with hot, very humid summers and mild winters — typical of the mid-Atlantic South.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and oppressively humid, with July the warmest month — average highs around 32°C — and heatwaves that can exceed 37°C, made stifling by Atlantic humidity. It is the wettest season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and hurricanes tracking up the coast can bring torrential rain in late summer.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and short, with January the coolest month — average highs around 9°C and lows near -3°C. Snow falls only lightly, around 25 cm a year, but ice storms are a recurring hazard as cold air wedges beneath warm, moist air along the fall line, glazing roads and trees.

Richmond receives around 1,100–1,150 mm of precipitation a year, spread through every month with a summer maximum from thunderstorms and tropical systems. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Richmond's fall-line position makes it prone to a particular winter hazard: cold, dense air trapped against the Piedmont slips beneath warm Atlantic air, so precipitation falls as freezing rain rather than snow, glazing the city in ice — more disruptive than the snow that rarely accumulates.

To follow any single measurement in Richmond more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.