Wet weather: 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Salado, more than in 87% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 29° on average. Its July heat outdoes that of 80% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 30, with the first autumn frost due around November 5.
A year in Salado at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salado’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salado’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Salado feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Batesville L&d 1, AR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salado’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Batesville L&d 1, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Salado
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 Batesville L&d 1, AR.
Living with Salado’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salado from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Salado and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Salado yet.
Climates most like Salado’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salado, AR | 29° | 91° | 51" | 2.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Goodlettsville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 1.2" |
| Knightdale, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 3.3" |
| Franklin, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.1" |
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 Salado averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Salado compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salado’s place among Arkansas’.
Salado weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salado’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Batesville L&d 1, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 29° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 40° | 5.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 49° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 58° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 39° | 4.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 50° | 32° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 51.2" | 2.2" | 104 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 49°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Salado’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 Salado’s center.
- Snow: Batesville L&d 1, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Batesville L&d 1, AR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Salado’s climate
What is the weather like in Salado?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salado in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 81 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Salado get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Batesville L&d 1, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Salado?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Batesville L&d 1, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Salado?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 221 frost-free days, at Batesville L&d 1, AR.
What growing zone is Salado 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 Salado?
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 Salado getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salado.
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.