Arkansas Post National Memorial · Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Gillett tops that of 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 91°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in April and the lightest in September. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 82% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 10 to November 18.
A year in Gillett at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gillett’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gillett’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Gillett feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 251 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 10 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arkansas Post, AR, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gillett’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Arkansas Post, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gillett
55% 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 Arkansas Post, AR.
Living with Gillett’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
251 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 10 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gillett from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gillett and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gillett yet.
Climates most like Gillett’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillett, AR | 34° | 91° | 52" | 1.5" |
| McDonough, GA | 34° | 90° | 51" | 0.8" |
| Hueytown, AL | 33° | 91° | 55" | 1.2" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Clemson University, SC | 33° | 90° | 50" | 2.2" |
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 Gillett averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Gillett compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gillett’s place among Arkansas’.
Gillett weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gillett’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Arkansas Post, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 34° | 4.4" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 37° | 4.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 44° | 5.2" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 65° |
| April | 73° | 53° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 81° | 62° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| June | 88° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 71° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 63° | 43° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 73° | 53° | 52.3" | 1.5" | 93 | 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 54°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gillett’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 Gillett’s center.
- Snow: Arkansas Post, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arkansas Post, AR, 7 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 Gillett’s climate
What is the weather like in Gillett?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gillett in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Gillett get?
About 1.5 inches in a normal winter at Arkansas Post, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gillett?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 53 days a year reach 90° (Arkansas Post, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Gillett?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 10 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 251 frost-free days, at Arkansas Post, AR.
What growing zone is Gillett in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gillett?
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 Gillett getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gillett.
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.