Clarence Anderson Barn · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Fifty-Six tops that of 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 27°. Temperatures cover 62° across the year, low to high. Its July heat outdoes that of 74% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 70–82°, runs through April, May, September and October.
A year in Fifty-Six at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fifty-Six’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fifty-Six’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Fifty-Six feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, 11 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fifty-Six’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, is heaviest from January through February, about 2 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 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fifty-Six
78% 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 Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR.
Living with Fifty-Six’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fifty-Six from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fifty-Six and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fifty-Six yet.
Climates most like Fifty-Six’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty-Six, AR | 27° | 89° | 49" | 6.7" |
| Cape Girardeau, MO | 26° | 89° | 48" | 7.5" |
| Metropolis, IL | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
| Reidland, KY | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
| Cherryville, NC | 29° | 89° | 48" | 5.6" |
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 Fifty-Six averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Fifty-Six compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fifty-Six’s place among Arkansas’.
Fifty-Six weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fifty-Six’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 27° | 3.2" | 2.0" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 31° | 3.3" | 1.9" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 49° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 4.7" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 43° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 59° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.9" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 48.7" | 6.7" | 95 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fifty-Six’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 Fifty-Six’s center.
- Snow: Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, 11 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Fifty-Six’s climate
What is the weather like in Fifty-Six?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fifty-Six in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 100 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Fifty-Six get?
About 6.7 inches in a normal winter at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fifty-Six?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Fifty-Six?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 196 frost-free days, at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR.
What growing zone is Fifty-Six in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fifty-Six?
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 Fifty-Six getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fifty-Six.
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.