Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Gateway

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Climate in Gateway · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Gateway’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns#102Mildest winters  of 127 in AR
Less snow than 65% of U.S. towns#113Least snow  of 125 in AR
All AR rankings →

A year in Gateway at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan46°26° 3" snow
Feb50°30°
Mar59°37°
Apr68°46° Last frost ~Apr 18
May75°55° Wettest
Jun83°63° 1 day 90°+
Jul88°67° 11 days 90°+
Aug87°66° 14 days 90°+
Sep80°58° 4 days 90°+
Oct70°48° First frost ~Oct 22
Nov now58°37°
Dec48°29°

What stands out about Gateway’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gateway’s place in Arkansas beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Gateway feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
48° / 29°
3 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
67° / 46°
Last frost around Apr 18
Summer
86° / 66°
31 days reach 90°
Fall
69° / 48°
First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 185 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Seligman, MO, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

110
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
127th fewest of 127 in Arkansas
Fewer freezing nights than 54% of U.S. towns
2
nights at or below 0°
126th fewest of 127 in Arkansas
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 52% of U.S. towns
31
days that reach 90°
127th most of 127 in Arkansas
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
124th most of 127 in Arkansas
More 100° days than 70% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Gateway’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

25
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

14
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 10 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Bentonville 4 S, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
105th wettest of 127 in Arkansas
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns
9.5"
Snow in a normal winter
113th least snowy of 125 in Arkansas
Less snow than 65% of U.S. towns
6 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
112th fewest of 121 in Arkansas
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 63% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

6.1"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Gateway

79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

4,517 heating degree daysLess heating than 65% of U.S. towns
1,187 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 64% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Seligman, MO.

Living here

Living with Gateway’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

185 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 22.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gateway from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Gateway and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gateway yet.

Climates most like Gateway’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Gateway, AR26°88°48"9.5"
Martinsville, VA27°88°47"9.4"
Marion, IL25°88°48"9.8"
Mount Vernon, IN25°88°47"8.4"
Penn Wynne, PA25°87°47"7.6"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Gateway averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).

+0.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 92% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.5°now 38°, was 37°
Spring+0.8°now 57°, was 56°
Summer+0.4°now 76°, was 75°
Fall+0.2°now 58°, was 58°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Gateway compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gateway’s place among Arkansas’.

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns127th hottest of 127 in Arkansas
Winter cold26° January low
Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns102nd mildest of 127 in Arkansas
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns105th wettest of 127 in Arkansas
Snow9.5" a winter
Less snow than 65% of U.S. towns113th least snowy of 125 in Arkansas
Hot days31 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns127th most of 127 in Arkansas
Freezing nights110 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 54% of U.S. towns127th fewest of 127 in Arkansas
Growing season185 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 50% of U.S. townsThe shortest of 127 in Arkansas
Month by month

Gateway weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gateway’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bentonville 4 S, AR. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January46°26°2.7"3.2"6231° – 46°
February50°30°2.5"2.3"5232° – 49°
March59°37°4.2"2.6"8141° – 59°
April68°46°4.9"0.0"9051° – 64°
May75°55°6.1"0.0"10061° – 72°
June83°63°4.7"0.0"9069° – 78°
July88°67°3.9"0.0"7073° – 84°
August87°66°3.4"0.0"6069° – 81°
September80°58°4.4"0.0"7066° – 76°
October70°48°4.2"0.0"6053° – 65°
November58°37°4.0"0.2"7041° – 54°
December48°29°3.1"1.2"6127° – 46°
Year68°47°48.1"9.5"856
Year to year

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 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Gateway’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 Gateway’s center.
  • Snow: Bentonville 4 S, AR.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Seligman, MO, 4 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 Gateway’s climate

What is the weather like in Gateway?

A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Gateway in winter?

January nights average 26°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.

How much snow does Gateway get?

About 9.5 inches in a normal winter at Bentonville 4 S, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.

How hot does it get in Gateway?

July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Seligman, MO).

When is the first and last frost in Gateway?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 185 frost-free days, at Seligman, MO.

What growing zone is Gateway in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.

What is the best time of year to visit Gateway?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Gateway getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Gateway.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.