Precipitation in Tumbling Shoals tops that of 90% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 29°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 61°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Tumbling Shoals at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tumbling Shoals’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tumbling Shoals’ place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Tumbling Shoals feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tumbling Shoals’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 Greers Ferry Dam, AR, falls mostly in March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; May is the wettest month and September 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 Tumbling Shoals
67% 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 Greers Ferry Dam, AR.
Living with Tumbling Shoals’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 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 6.
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 Tumbling Shoals from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tumbling Shoals and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tumbling Shoals yet.
Climates most like Tumbling Shoals’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tumbling Shoals, AR | 29° | 90° | 53" | 2.6" |
| Smyrna, TN | 29° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Greenville, NC | 32° | 90° | 52" | 3.3" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
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 Tumbling Shoals averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Tumbling Shoals compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tumbling Shoals’ place among Arkansas’.
Tumbling Shoals weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tumbling Shoals’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Greers Ferry Dam, 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" | 8 | 1 | 33° – 46° |
| February | 52° | 33° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| March | 61° | 40° | 5.1" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 49° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| May | 78° | 57° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 66° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 40° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 50° | 32° | 4.7" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 70° | 49° | 52.6" | 2.6" | 100 | 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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Tumbling Shoals’ 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 Tumbling Shoals’ center.
- Snow: Greers Ferry Dam, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Tumbling Shoals’ climate
What is the weather like in Tumbling Shoals?
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 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tumbling Shoals in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Tumbling Shoals get?
About 2.6 inches in a normal winter at Greers Ferry Dam, AR, most of it in March and December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tumbling Shoals?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Greers Ferry Dam, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Tumbling Shoals?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 222 frost-free days, at Greers Ferry Dam, AR.
What growing zone is Tumbling Shoals in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tumbling Shoals?
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 Tumbling Shoals getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tumbling Shoals.
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.