Old Alexander House · Photo: Smrisher · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in McNeil tops that of 93% of U.S. towns: 55 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 34°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 89% of U.S. towns. The average has barely moved since 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in McNeil at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McNeil’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McNeil’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in McNeil feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 218 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Magnolia, AR, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McNeil’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 Magnolia, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McNeil
59% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Magnolia, AR.
Living with McNeil’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
218 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McNeil from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (24%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McNeil and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McNeil yet.
Climates most like McNeil’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNeil, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 1.7" |
| Hueytown, AL | 33° | 91° | 55" | 1.2" |
| Columbus, MS | 33° | 92° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Memphis, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.7" |
| McDonough, GA | 34° | 90° | 51" | 0.8" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in McNeil averaged 0.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+0.5°).
A smaller shift than in all but 8 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 McNeil compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McNeil’s place among Arkansas’.
McNeil weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McNeil’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Magnolia, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 34° | 4.5" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 59° | 37° | 4.7" | 0.6" | 10 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 51° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 82° | 60° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| August | 92° | 70° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 42° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 54.5" | 1.7" | 103 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where McNeil’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 McNeil’s center.
- Snow: Magnolia, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Magnolia, AR, 6 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 McNeil’s climate
What is the weather like in McNeil?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, 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 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McNeil in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 58 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does McNeil get?
About 1.7 inches in a normal winter at Magnolia, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in McNeil?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Magnolia, AR).
When is the first and last frost in McNeil?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 218 frost-free days, at Magnolia, AR.
What growing zone is McNeil 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 McNeil?
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 McNeil getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 8 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McNeil.
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.