Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Fairfield Bay tops that of 90% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 77% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.8°, most of all in February. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Fairfield Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fairfield Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fairfield Bay’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Fairfield Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 16 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fairfield Bay’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clinton, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fairfield Bay
67% 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 Greers Ferry Dam, AR.
Living with Fairfield Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fairfield Bay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fairfield Bay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fairfield Bay yet.
Climates most like Fairfield Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Bay, AR | 29° | 90° | 53" | 2.8" |
| Smyrna, TN | 29° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Franklin, KY | 28° | 89° | 51" | 4.3" |
| Sikeston, MO | 28° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
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 Fairfield Bay averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
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 Fairfield Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fairfield Bay’s place among Arkansas’.
Fairfield Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fairfield Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clinton, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 29° | 3.6" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 33° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 32° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 7 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 5.1" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 48° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 39° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 29° – 48° |
| Year | 70° | 49° | 52.7" | 2.8" | 95 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fairfield Bay’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 Fairfield Bay’s center.
- Snow: Clinton, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 16 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Fairfield Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Fairfield Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fairfield Bay in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Fairfield Bay get?
About 2.8 inches in a normal winter at Clinton, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fairfield Bay?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Greers Ferry Dam, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Fairfield Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 222 frost-free days, at Greers Ferry Dam, AR.
What growing zone is Fairfield Bay in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fairfield Bay?
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 Fairfield Bay 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 Fairfield Bay.
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.