Newton Sutterfield Farmstead · Photo: Krorie · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Big Flat tops that of 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 27° on average. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 72% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April, May, September and October, with highs of 70–81°.
A year in Big Flat at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Flat’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Flat’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Big Flat feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marshall, AR, 15 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Flat’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marshall, AR, is heaviest from February through March, about 1 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Flat
73% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Marshall, AR.
Living with Big Flat’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Flat from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Flat and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Flat yet.
Climates most like Big Flat’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Flat, AR | 27° | 89° | 49" | 4.0" |
| Central City, KY | 27° | 89° | 49" | 4.4" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
| Sikeston, MO | 28° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Big Flat averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Big Flat compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Flat’s place among Arkansas’.
Big Flat weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Flat’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marshall, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.2" | 0.9" | 7 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 3.2" | 1.1" | 7 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 38° | 4.8" | 1.1" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 59° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 3.9" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 27° – 47° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 49.1" | 4.0" | 89 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Big Flat’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Big Flat’s center.
- Snow: Marshall, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marshall, AR, 15 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Big Flat’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Flat?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Flat in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Big Flat get?
About 4.0 inches in a normal winter at Marshall, AR, heaviest from February through March, about 1 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Flat?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Marshall, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Big Flat?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 197 frost-free days, at Marshall, AR.
What growing zone is Big Flat in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Flat?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Flat getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Flat.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.