Photo: Photolitherland · CC BY-SA 3.0Norfork has warmer summer afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 26°. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 72% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 14; in half of years the first frost comes by October 28.
A year in Norfork at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norfork’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norfork’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Norfork feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norfork’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mtn Home 1 Nnw, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norfork
78% 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 Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR.
Living with Norfork’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norfork from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norfork and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Norfork yet.
Climates most like Norfork’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfork, AR | 26° | 91° | 47" | 7.8" |
| Miami, OK | 26° | 91° | 46" | 7.2" |
| Pittsburg, KS | 24° | 90° | 46" | 9.5" |
| Cape Girardeau, MO | 26° | 89° | 48" | 7.5" |
| East Highland Park, VA | 28° | 90° | 46" | 8.8" |
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 Norfork averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Norfork compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norfork’s place among Arkansas’.
Norfork weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norfork’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mtn Home 1 Nnw, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 26° | 3.0" | 1.9" | 8 | 0 | 31° – 45° |
| February | 53° | 29° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 62° | 37° | 4.6" | 2.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 91° | 67° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 60° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 29° | 3.7" | 1.2" | 9 | 0 | 27° – 47° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 47.4" | 7.8" | 110 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Norfork’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 Norfork’s center.
- Snow: Mtn Home 1 Nnw, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR, 9 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 Norfork’s climate
What is the weather like in Norfork?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norfork in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 100 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Norfork get?
About 7.8 inches in a normal winter at Mtn Home 1 Nnw, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Norfork?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 67°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Norfork?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 196 frost-free days, at Calico Rock 2 Wsw, AR.
What growing zone is Norfork in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norfork?
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 Norfork getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norfork.
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.