Hector gets more rain and snow than 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
Expect July afternoons of about 91°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 84% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in February. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 29, with the first autumn frost due around November 2.
A year in Hector at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hector’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hector’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Hector feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 219 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Russellville Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hector’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 Hattieville 5 Nw, AR, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hector
62% 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 Russellville Muni Airport.
Living with Hector’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
219 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hector from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hector and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hector yet.
Climates most like Hector’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hector, AR | 28° | 91° | 52" | 3.1" |
| Kennett, MO | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.9" |
| Nashville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 4.7" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Idabel, OK | 32° | 93° | 53" | 2.0" |
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 Hector averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Hector compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hector’s place among Arkansas’.
Hector weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hector’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hattieville 5 Nw, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 28° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 31° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.8" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 5.0" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 51° | 30° | 4.1" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 30° – 48° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 52.2" | 3.1" | 91 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 48°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hector’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 Hector’s center.
- Snow: Hattieville 5 Nw, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Russellville Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Hector’s climate
What is the weather like in Hector?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hector in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Hector get?
About 3.1 inches in a normal winter at Hattieville 5 Nw, AR, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hector?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 73 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Russellville Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hector?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 219 frost-free days, at Russellville Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Hector in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hector?
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 Hector getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hector.
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.