Important rivers include the Ohio, the Big Sandy, the Potomac, and the Shenandoah. The population of West Virginia is over 1.8 million. Climate Climatic variations in West Virginia are due to differences in altitude. Charleston, in a river valley, has average annual temperatures between -3 C and 8 C in January and between 18 C and 31 C in July. Elkins, at a higher elevation, sees average temperatures ranging from -6 C to 6 C in January and from 14 C to 28 C in July.
Rainfall is generally heavier in the southern mountains than the Potomac River area.
Annual snowfall varies from 51 cm in the southwest to 254 cm in the mountains. Bluegrass and folk music are popular musical forms in West Virginia. Charleston and Wheeling both host symphony orchestras. Dramatic performances are staged regularly at Charleston's Children's Theater, Wheeling's Little Theater, and Grandview State Park. Recreation West Virginia has thirty-four state parks and nine state forests.