Editing Virginia Beach, Virginia (section)

===Climate===

{{climate chart
| Virginia Beach, VA<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.usa.com/virginia-beach-city-county-va-weather.htm#HistoricalTemperature | title = Virginia Beach City County, VA Weather - USA.com™ | website = www.usa.com}}</ref>
|29.9|48.9|3.6
|32.1|52.2|3.5
|38.2|59.8|4.1
|46.6|69.1|3.5
|55.6|76.8|3.8
|64.7|84.6|4.0
|69.3|88.4|5.1
|67.6|86.3|5.2
|61.4|80.6|4.7
|50.1|71.3|3.5
|41.1|62.2|3.3
|33.2|52.6|3.6
|units = imperial
|float = right
|clear = both }}The climate of Virginia Beach is [[humid subtropical]] ([[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen]]: ''Cfa''). For the [[Trewartha climate classification]] the climate is the northern limit of ''Cf'' ([[Subtropics|subtropical]]).<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://kkh.ltrr.arizona.edu/kkh/climate/trewartha_maps.htm | title = Trewartha maps | website = kkh.ltrr.arizona.edu|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y1997e/y1997e1g.htm | title = Chapter 47. Global mapping | website = www.fao.org|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>

Much of the year in Virginia Beach is mild to warm. The long summer season from late May through late September is often hot and humid, with frequent (but brief) late day thundershowers. Winters are cool with little frozen precipitation, and snowfall is light.  The official weather statistics are recorded at Norfolk International Airport on the extreme northwestern border of Virginia Beach. The mean annual temperature is {{convert|59.6|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, with an average annual snowfall of {{convert|5.8|in|mm}} at the airport to around {{convert|3.0|in|mm}} in the southeastern corner around Back Bay.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?va0385 | title = Climate Summary }}</ref> Average annual precipitation (the large majority rainfall) is high, ranging between {{convert|47|in|mm}} at the airport to over {{convert|50|in|mm}} per year at Back Bay. The wettest season is summer, specifically July to early September, with August the single wettest month, averaging over 5.5 inches of rain. From October to June, average monthly precipitation is remarkably consistent, ranging between 3.1 and 3.7 inches. Virginia Beach averages 2200 hours of sunshine annually, higher than the USA average.

The highest recorded temperature to date was {{convert|105|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in July 2010, and the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-3|°F}} in January 1985, both being recorded at Norfolk International Airport.<ref name="NWS Wakefield, VA (AKQ)" /> The coldest daily maximum on record was {{convert|12|F|C}} in December 1917, whereas the 1991–2020 normals had a coldest maximum average of {{convert|29|F|C}}.<ref name="NWS Wakefield, VA (AKQ)" /> This means that in spite of the mild normals, most years record at least one ice day, with rare exceptions. Summer nights are sometimes really hot. The all-time record warmest low temperature is {{convert|84|F|C}} from July 1942, while a normal year's warmest night averages {{convert|80|F|C}}.<ref name="NWS Wakefield, VA (AKQ)" />

Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable which is why it has earned the reputation as a vacation destination. It is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, and north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other major tropical storms, with the exception of [[Hurricane Isabel]] in 2003.<ref name="Virginia Hurricane Climatology">Information from [http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/vaclimohur.htm NOAA].</ref> Because of the moderating effects of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach is the northernmost location on the east coast in which many species of plants (both subtropical and tropical) will reliably grow. [[Spanish moss]], for example is near the northernmost limit of its natural range at [[First Landing State Park]], and is the most northerly location where it is widespread. Other plants like the [[Windmill Palm]], [[Sabal palmetto]], [[Butia odorata]] (in protected locations), and [[Oleander]] are successfully grown here while they succumb to the colder winter temperatures to the north and inland to the west. The [[hardiness zone]] is 8b along the coast and in Urban areas, and 8a inland and to the northwest. 

On April 30, 2023, an EF-3 [[tornado]] struck the Great Neck neighborhood in the northeastern section of the city. It was on the ground from 5:48 to 5:53 PM EST. Miraculously, no one was killed nor injured. It is the strongest tornado on record to hit the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/us/virginia-beach-tornado-damage/index.html|title=Up to 100 homes damaged and schools closed after tornado strikes Virginia Beach|last=Alonso|first=Melissa|date=May 1, 2023|website=[[CNN]]|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wavy.com/weather/severe-weather/tornado-damage-reported-virginia-beach/amp/|title=VB Tornado damages estimated at nearly $10 million|last=Wertz-Alvarez|first=Jane|date=May 1, 2023|website=WAVY.com|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wtkr.com/news/after-tornado-hits-virginia-beach-dozens-of-homes-left-damaged-many-more-still-without-power|title=Virginia Beach EF-3 tornado spanned over 4.5 miles in 5 minutes damaging about 115 homes: NWS|last=Miller|first=Madeline|date=May 1, 2023|website=WTKR.com|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>

{{Norfolk, Virginia weatherbox}}