Henley Hotel · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0July in St. Joe runs hotter than in 76% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 26°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 71% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in St. Joe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Joe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Joe’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in St. Joe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gilbert, AR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Joe’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gilbert, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Joe
74% 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 Gilbert, AR.
Living with St. Joe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Ice storms are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Joe from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Joe and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Joe yet.
Climates most like St. Joe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joe, AR | 26° | 90° | 47" | 4.4" |
| Dexter, MO | 27° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
| Central City, KY | 27° | 89° | 49" | 4.4" |
| Ettrick, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
| Eden, NC | 28° | 89° | 47" | 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 St. Joe averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 St. Joe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Joe’s place among Arkansas’.
St. Joe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Joe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gilbert, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 26° | 3.0" | 1.6" | 7 | 0 | 32° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 3.0" | 0.6" | 7 | 1 | 33° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 4.6" | 1.3" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 60° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 29° | 3.6" | 0.9" | 7 | 1 | 27° – 46° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 47.2" | 4.4" | 87 | 2 |
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 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where St. Joe’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 St. Joe’s center.
- Snow: Gilbert, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gilbert, AR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 St. Joe’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Joe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Joe in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does St. Joe get?
About 4.4 inches in a normal winter at Gilbert, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Joe?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Gilbert, AR).
When is the first and last frost in St. Joe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 189 frost-free days, at Gilbert, AR.
What growing zone is St. Joe in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Joe?
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 St. Joe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Joe.
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.