Climate in Smithfield
Smithfield shares the Hampton Roads-adjacent humid subtropical climate documented for Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, alongside real, recently gauged tidal/storm-surge flooding on the Pagan River distinct from upstream James River freshwater flooding.
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Learn moreA humid subtropical climate matching this dataset's other Hampton Roads-adjacent markets
July highs average 88F (lows 72.1F) and January highs average 45.5F (lows 32.9F), with mean annual humidity of 69% and about 46.7 inches of annual precipitation -- closely matching Portsmouth's, Norfolk's, and Virginia Beach's profiles documented elsewhere in this dataset (Climate-Data.org, retrieved 2026-08-24).
Real, recently gauged tidal flooding on the Pagan River -- distinct from upstream James River flooding
Smithfield sits on the tidal Pagan River near its mouth into the lower James River and Hampton Roads harbor. This is genuinely different hydrology than the freshwater flood-crest flooding documented far upstream at Richmond from storms like Hurricane Camille (1969) -- that upstream history does NOT apply to Smithfield. What IS locally documented: a NOAA gauge at Smithfield Station (in place since 2023 only) recorded a 5.21-foot peak during an October 2025 nor'easter, and a separately cited 6.27-foot reading during Hurricane Joaquin (2015).
A real, disclosed historical gap: Hurricane Isabel (2003)
Local reporting acknowledges that Hurricane Isabel's 2003 flooding in Isle of Wight and Surry Counties likely exceeded the more recent gauge readings above, but no gauge existed at Smithfield at that time to confirm a specific figure -- a real, disclosed data gap rather than a guessed number.
Known local flood thresholds worth understanding for a specific address
Church Street begins flooding at 3.75 feet and becomes impassable at 4 feet; parking areas around Smithfield Station see up to two feet of standing water at 4.5 feet -- real, specific, locally documented thresholds (Smithfield Times, retrieved 2026-08-24).
Key takeaways
- Smithfield's climate matches this dataset's other Hampton Roads-adjacent markets -- hot, humid summers, mild winters.
- Real, recently gauged tidal/storm-surge flooding occurs on the Pagan River (5.21 ft, October 2025 nor'easter; 6.27 ft, Hurricane Joaquin 2015) -- genuinely distinct from upstream James River freshwater flooding, which does not apply here.
- Hurricane Isabel (2003) likely produced flooding exceeding these recent readings, but no local gauge existed then to confirm a specific figure -- a real, disclosed gap.
- Specific flood thresholds are documented for Church Street and the Smithfield Station area -- confirm for any specific address.
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