Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Johnson’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Johnson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Johnson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Johnson’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Johnson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Johnson’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 Fayetteville Drake Fld, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Johnson
72% 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 Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR.
Living with Johnson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Johnson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 41%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Johnson and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Johnson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Johnson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 6.5" |
| Cape Girardeau, MO | 26° | 89° | 48" | 7.5" |
| Salisbury, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Richmond, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 8.8" |
| Owensboro, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 5.7" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Johnson averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Johnson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Johnson’s place among Arkansas’.
Johnson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Johnson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fayetteville Drake Fld, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 26° | 2.6" | 1.5" | 8 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 2.4" | 2.4" | 8 | 2 | 33° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 4.1" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| December | 49° | 29° | 3.2" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 28° – 45° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 47.2" | 6.5" | 113 | 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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Johnson’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 Johnson’s center.
- Snow: Fayetteville Drake Fld, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR, 2.2 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 Johnson’s climate
What is the weather like in Johnson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Johnson in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Johnson get?
About 6.5 inches in a normal winter at Fayetteville Drake Fld, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Johnson?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Johnson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 209 frost-free days, at Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR.
What growing zone is Johnson in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Johnson?
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 Johnson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Johnson.
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.