Precipitation in Sidney tops that of 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 27°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 14, with the first autumn frost due around October 20.
A year in Sidney at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sidney’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sidney’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Sidney feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sidney’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; April is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sidney
76% 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 Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR.
Living with Sidney’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
190 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 20.
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 Sidney from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sidney and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sidney yet.
Climates most like Sidney’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney, AR | 27° | 89° | 52" | 6.7" |
| Bowling Green, KY | 28° | 89° | 51" | 8.5" |
| Springfield, TN | 28° | 89° | 52" | 5.8" |
| Metropolis, IL | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
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 Sidney averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Sidney compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sidney’s place among Arkansas’.
Sidney weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sidney’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 27° | 3.6" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 31° | 3.7" | 2.6" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 38° | 4.8" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 43° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 38° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 4.6" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 28° – 47° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 51.6" | 6.7" | 100 | 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 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sidney’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 Sidney’s center.
- Snow: Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Sidney’s climate
What is the weather like in Sidney?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sidney in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 98 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Sidney get?
About 6.7 inches in a normal winter at Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sidney?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Sidney?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 190 frost-free days, at Evening Shade 1 Nne, AR.
What growing zone is Sidney in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sidney?
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 Sidney getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sidney.
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.