Up until about 15,000 years ago, though, temperatures at high elevations in West Virginia were quite low. Between 15,000 and 10,000 years ago, the climate warmed considerably. Today, the climate in the mountains is cool mainly because of the elevation. Similar data from Charleston, South Carolina are provided for comparison. Note that the elevation difference between the two sites produces a remarkably different climate, despite the relatively small latitudinal difference.
Summers are much cooler at Snowshoe, and winters are typically below freezing.
However, winter temperatures of -36 deg F have been recorded. Temperatures at Snowshoe average about 44 deg F in October . If Snowshoe seems cold, the climate in the Glades valley is actually somewhat cooler by 5-10 deg F because it receives cold air drainage from the surrounding slopes. Accumulation of cool air is often evident by low fog or mist in the morning. The mountains of West Virginia probably supported alpine tundra vegetation during the last ice age.