Rockwell reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 31°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 19 to November 13.
A year in Rockwell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rockwell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rockwell’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Rockwell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR, 6 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockwell’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 Bonnerdale 5 E, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rockwell
58% 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 Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR.
Living with Rockwell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 19 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockwell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rockwell and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rockwell in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rockwell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell, AR | 31° | 92° | 55" | 2.3" |
| Bartlett, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.8" |
| Horn Lake, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Helena, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 1.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
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 Rockwell averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.0°).
A smaller shift than in all but 136 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 Rockwell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rockwell’s place among Arkansas’.
Rockwell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rockwell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bonnerdale 5 E, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.7" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 4.2" | 0.9" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 70° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 69° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 49° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 5.0" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 33° – 50° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 54.9" | 2.3" | 81 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 50°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rockwell’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 Rockwell’s center.
- Snow: Bonnerdale 5 E, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR, 6 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher; 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 Rockwell’s climate
What is the weather like in Rockwell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockwell in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Rockwell get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Bonnerdale 5 E, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rockwell?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 70°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Rockwell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 239 frost-free days, at Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR.
What growing zone is Rockwell in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rockwell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rockwell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 136 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rockwell.
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.