Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Rector tops that of 85% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
Nights in January average 29°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Radiators earn their keep from November to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Rector at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rector’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rector’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Rector feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kennett Radio Kboa, MO, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rector’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 Paragould 1s, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; May is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rector
68% 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 Kennett Radio Kboa, MO.
Living with Rector’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rector from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rector and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rector yet.
Climates most like Rector’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rector, AR | 29° | 90° | 50" | 2.5" |
| Franklin, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.1" |
| Knightdale, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 3.3" |
| Ashland City, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 1.3" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
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 Rector averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
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 Rector compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rector’s place among Arkansas’.
Rector weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rector’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paragould 1s, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 29° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 31° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 32° | 3.9" | 0.8" | 9 | 2 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 40° | 4.8" | 0.4" | 11 | 1 | 43° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 49° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 59° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 71° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 32° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 70° | 50° | 50.3" | 2.5" | 115 | 3 |
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 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rector’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 Rector’s center.
- Snow: Paragould 1s, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kennett Radio Kboa, MO, 12 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 Rector’s climate
What is the weather like in Rector?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rector in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Rector get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Paragould 1s, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rector?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 71°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Kennett Radio Kboa, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Rector?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 215 frost-free days, at Kennett Radio Kboa, MO.
What growing zone is Rector in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rector?
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 Rector 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 Rector.
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.