Daylight through the yearLongest day (Jun 21): 14 h 45 min6:05 am – 8:50 pmShortest day (Dec 21): 9 h 35 min7:36 am – 5:11 pm
Sun todaySunrise –Sunset –
ClimateWarmest month July: highs 83°F, lows 60°FColdest month January: highs 43°F, lows 23°F49 in of rain a year, on about 97 dayswettest month July20 in of snow a year, on about 9 days5 days above 90°F, 120 nights below freezing in a typical yearSource: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Elkhorn station, 2 mi away; rain from Pineville
Nearby landmarksShawnee Mountainpeak · under a mileKeystone Refuse Impoundmentreservoir · 1.3 miAlgoma Coal Impoundmentreservoir · 1.7 miJohns Knobpeak · 4.0 miGrapevine Branch Refuse Bank Lakelake · 6.8 miTolliver Branch Lakelake · 6.9 miSource: USGS Geographic Names Information System
Parks and public landsAnawalt Lake Wildlife Management Areastate conservation land · 5.7 mi · 1,796 acresPinnacle Rock State Parkstate park · 9.9 mi · 393 acresTug Fork Wildlife Management Areastate conservation land · 10.7 mi · 6,778 acresJefferson National Forestnational forest · 13.3 mi · 711,977 acresTwin Falls Resort State Parkstate park · 13.4 mi · 3,744 acresCamp Creek State Parkstate park · 17.0 mi · 559 acresSource: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US)
Earthquakes9 of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles since 19704 of magnitude 4+, 0 of magnitude 5+Largest: magnitude 4.3 on 23 Nov 200635 mi away, near Raven, VirginiaMost recent: magnitude 3.2 on 13 Sep 201740 mi awaySource: USGS Earthquake Catalog
Natural hazardsOverall risk Relatively LowMcDowell County, WV, compared with all US countiesHigher-risk hazardsCold wave Relatively HighSource: FEMA National Risk Index (county level)
Air quality94% of days had good air in 2025337 of 357 days measured20 moderate daysMedian index 37, worst day 80main pollutant: ozoneSource: US EPA Air Quality Index, nearest monitors: Giles County, VA, 40 mi away
Drinking waterCity of Welchserves 2,907 people from ground water4 health-based violations since 2021latest Oct 2025: coliform bacteria, treatment technique17 monitoring or reporting violations since 2021Source: US EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System, largest system in the county
Elevation1,714 ft522 m above sea levelSource: USGS 3D Elevation Program
Local servicesHospitalWelch Community Hospital8.8 miPost officeNorthfork Post Officeunder a mileTown hallAnawalt Town Hall5.5 miPoliceNorthfork Police Departmentunder a mileFire stationNorthfork Volunteer Fire Departmentunder a mileSource: USGS National Structures Dataset
SchoolsWithin 2 miNo schools listedCollegeBluefield State University14.7 miSource: USGS National Structures Dataset
Getting aroundAirportRaleigh County Memorial Airport BKW31 miMajor airportPiedmont Triad International Airport GSO123 miInterstateI-7718 miUS highwayUS 52under a mileAmtrakHinton, WV HIN35 miCoachBluefield Bus StopGreyhound15 miTransit2 stops within a mileBluefield Area Transit (BAT)Sources: OurAirports; US Census Bureau TIGER roads; Bureau of Transportation Statistics NTAD
Distances in these cards are measured from the centre of the 24852 ZIP area.
