Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Monticello’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Monticello at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Monticello’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Monticello’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Monticello feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 238 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Monticello Muni Airport, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Monticello’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 55 inches of rain a year
April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 97 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Monticello Muni Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Monticello
53% 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 Monticello Muni Airport.
Living with Monticello’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
238 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Monticello from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Monticello and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Monticello yet.
Climates most like Monticello’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Hueytown, AL | 33° | 91° | 55" | 1.2" |
| Columbus, MS | 33° | 92° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Monticello averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Monticello compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Monticello’s place among Arkansas’.
Monticello weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Monticello’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monticello Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 34° | 4.7" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 38° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 65° |
| April | 74° | 52° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 82° | 61° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 64° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 36° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 53° | 54.8" | 0.7" | 97 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 54°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Monticello’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 Monticello’s center.
- Snow: Monticello Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Monticello Muni Airport, 2.3 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 Monticello’s climate
What is the weather like in Monticello?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Monticello in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 51 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Monticello get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Monticello Muni Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Monticello?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Monticello Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Monticello?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 238 frost-free days, at Monticello Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Monticello 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 Monticello?
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 Monticello getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Monticello.
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.