Richmond weather by month
The best time to visit Richmond is April, May and October — 87/100 in May, 25°C and 10 rainy days. The best season is spring, March to May (83/100 on average).
The worst month is January at 59/100 — cold, rainy, clean air. See January →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit United States →
Best season: March to May (83/100 on average) · worst January (59/100)
- Days
- 25°C
- Nights
- 14°C
- Wet days
- 10
- Sun
- 9.5 h
- Humidity
- 72%
- Daylight
- 14 h

Richmond, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Richmond is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
What's on in Richmond through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- March
- James River rapids season15 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)Season
- May
- Dominion Energy Riverrock14–26 May (usually)Festival
- June
- Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually)Festival
- July
- Independence Day3–5 JulHoliday
- August
- Tropical storm remnants15 Aug – 15 Oct (usually)Hazard
- October
- Richmond Folk Festival9–11 OctFestival
- November
- Richmond Marathon14 NovFestival
- Thanksgiving25–29 NovHoliday
- GardenFest of Lights15 Nov – 5 Jan (usually)Opening
- December
- Christmas and New Year24 Dec – 1 JanHoliday
Crowds in Richmond in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyDominion Energy Riverrock(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Traveller notes on Richmond
What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.
Richmond-area forum regulars call April one of the better months to avoid summer's heat and humidity, but warn spring here is genuinely unsettled — “wet, snow, sleet, rain or unseasonably warm conditions” can all show up in the same week. Average highs sit in the mid-60s°F and lows in the mid-40s, but it's still early spring: posters note it's “barely out of winter,” so be prepared for anything from near-freezing to low-80s depending on the week. Historic Garden Week typically falls in April, with private homes and gardens across the state opened for tours — a reason to time a visit for the month beyond the weather itself. Our record: 21°C days, 9.5°C nights and 9.8 rain days — mild on average, with the real variability the forum describes sitting underneath that number.
April and early May are the forum's picks for Richmond — mild days, cool nights, and well clear of a summer regulars describe as steamy, over 32°C with high humidity. May averages near 25°C by day and 14 overnight. The honest caveat they add is that a Virginia spring is "a bit dodgy": it may be hot or cold, it may rain or not, and the month is genuinely unpredictable rather than reliably pleasant. October is the other month they name, and the one they rate as the more dependable of the two.
Richmond forum regulars call early October “lovely with mild temps,” warm days and cool nights that regulars name alongside April and September as the city's best-weather months. The honest caveat: fall and spring in Virginia are very finicky seasons, with real variation possible from one day to the next even within a single week's visit — layers are the standard recommendation for exactly that reason, since a warm afternoon can follow a genuinely cool morning. The payoff for timing it right: many of the city's most popular outdoor events cluster into this stretch. Our record: 22°C days, 12.7°C nights, 7 rain days and 7.5 hours of sun — mild and comfortably dry, matching the “best of the year, but check the week's forecast” read.
Forum posters describe late November in Richmond as usually cool and crisp, not too cold as long as it isn't raining, with temperatures sometimes still reaching the 60s or 70sF earlier in the month. Posters are direct that fall weather here is genuinely finicky, and conditions can turn colder and more unpredictable as November wears on. Posters consistently note that real winter cold doesn't typically arrive until late December or early January, with Richmond winters generally mild by regional standards - an occasional light dusting of snow, annual totals usually under a foot, and daytime temperatures well above freezing even if nights get properly chilly. Posters generally rate November as a good time to visit, with pleasant conditions for exploring the city's historical sites outdoors.
Add your own note from Richmond's card on the map.