Wet weather: 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Elaine, more than in 88% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 33°. Its July heat outdoes that of 83% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October to November, with highs of 63–82°.
A year in Elaine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elaine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elaine’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Elaine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 238 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 17 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Charles, AR, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elaine’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saint Charles, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elaine
61% 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 Saint Charles, AR.
Living with Elaine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
238 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elaine from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elaine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elaine yet.
Climates most like Elaine’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 1.2" |
| McDonough, GA | 34° | 90° | 51" | 0.8" |
| Lincoln, AL | 33° | 91° | 54" | 0.9" |
| Goldsboro, NC | 33° | 90° | 51" | 2.0" |
| Marion, SC | 35° | 92° | 49" | 0.8" |
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 Elaine averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Elaine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elaine’s place among Arkansas’.
Elaine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elaine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saint Charles, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 33° | 4.3" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 37° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 44° | 5.2" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| April | 73° | 52° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| May | 82° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| June | 89° | 70° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 71° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 63° | 43° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 53° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 73° | 53° | 51.6" | 1.2" | 72 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elaine’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 Elaine’s center.
- Snow: Saint Charles, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Charles, AR, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Elaine’s climate
What is the weather like in Elaine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elaine in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Elaine get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Saint Charles, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elaine?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 68 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Saint Charles, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Elaine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 17 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 238 frost-free days, at Saint Charles, AR.
What growing zone is Elaine in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elaine?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elaine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elaine.
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.