A boat in West Virginia is laid up for about 3 months a year at Charleston, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 12 at Elkins (NOAA 1991-2020). 7 boat storage facilities are listed in West Virginia, 7 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Charleston high / low | boat | Elkins snow | Elkins high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44° / 26° | laid up | 20.3 in | 42° / 20° | laid up |
| Feb | 48° / 29° | laid up | 15.4 in | 45° / 22° | laid up |
| Mar | 57° / 35° | launch or haul-out | 11.4 in | 54° / 29° | launch or haul-out |
| Apr | 69° / 45° | launch or haul-out | 2.3 in | 66° / 37° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 76° / 53° | in the water | 0.0 in | 73° / 47° | in the water |
| Jun | 83° / 62° | in the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 56° | in the water |
| Jul | 86° / 66° | in the water | 0.0 in | 83° / 60° | in the water |
| Aug | 85° / 64° | in the water | 0.0 in | 82° / 58° | in the water |
| Sep | 80° / 57° | in the water | 0.0 in | 77° / 52° | in the water |
| Oct | 69° / 45° | in the water | 0.9 in | 66° / 39° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 57° / 36° | launch or haul-out | 4.1 in | 55° / 30° | launch or haul-out |
| Dec | 48° / 30° | laid up | 14.5 in | 45° / 24° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Charleston has 6 months in the water (May to October), 3 of launch or haul-out and 3 laid up. By that rule a boat at Elkins has 5 months in the water (May to September), 4 of launch or haul-out and 3 laid up.
West Virginia is hard-freeze country: Elkins logs about 136.1 nights at or below 32°F and 24.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
7 live listings in 5 cities; by listed type: 7 indoor, 7 covered and 7 outdoor (types overlap). No West Virginia boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store It - Winfield II | Winfield | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Store-It Winfield | Winfield | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Boat and RV Storage Huntington | Huntington | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| Teays Valley Storage | Scott Depot | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Commercial Warehouse and Storage | Clarksburg | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Kanawha Valley Self-Storage | South Charleston | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Tri-State Storage (Huntington Storage Center) | Huntington | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Winfield | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Clarksburg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Scott Depot | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Charleston | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 26 at Charleston and October 12 at Elkins; winterize by September 28, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Charleston stays in the water through October and Elkins through September, then 3 months of launch or haul-out follow at Charleston. 7 West Virginia listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
3 at Charleston (November to April) and 3 at Elkins (October to April), plus 3 and 4 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 50.2 of the 68.9 inches of snow Elkins averages a year (73%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Charleston a boat is in the water from May to October (6 months), against 5 at Elkins.
Of 7 live West Virginia listings, 7 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 7 outdoor and 7 covered. By city: Huntington (2 listed, 2 indoor), Winfield (2 listed, 2 indoor), Clarksburg (1 listed, 1 indoor) and Scott Depot (1 listed, 1 indoor). Most indoor listings: Huntington (2), Winfield (2) and Clarksburg (1). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 5 cities in all.
At Elkins, 5 months average a low at or below 32°F: 3 laid up and 2 launch or haul-out or in the water by our boat rule. Elkins logs 136.1 nights at or below 32°F and 5.5 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 20.0°F and is laid up for a boat. Drain or re-protect the boat after any outing in those 2 months.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 16 at Charleston and May 5 at Elkins; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 1 and April 24. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Charleston and May at Elkins. That month Charleston averages a 53.2°F low and a 76.2°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
West Virginia boat storage listings span 5 cities, led by Huntington (2 listed), Winfield (2 listed), Clarksburg (1 listed), Scott Depot (1 listed) and South Charleston (1 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Huntington (2 outdoor) and Winfield (2 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 7 list outdoor, 7 covered and 7 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 12.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00013866, USW00013729); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).