Wet weather: 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Tupelo, more than in 86% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 23, with the first autumn frost due around November 5.
A year in Tupelo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tupelo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tupelo’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Tupelo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 227 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beedeville 4 Ne, AR, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tupelo’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Augusta, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; May is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 90 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tupelo
65% 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 Beedeville 4 Ne, AR.
Living with Tupelo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
227 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tupelo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (24%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tupelo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tupelo yet.
Climates most like Tupelo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tupelo, AR | 31° | 91° | 51" | 1.4" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Selma, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Clemson University, SC | 33° | 90° | 50" | 2.2" |
| Goodlettsville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 1.2" |
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 Tupelo averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Tupelo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tupelo’s place among Arkansas’.
Tupelo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tupelo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Augusta, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 31° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 34° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 52° |
| March | 62° | 42° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 63° |
| April | 72° | 51° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 60° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 68° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 69° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 61° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 51° | 34° | 5.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 30° – 51° |
| Year | 71° | 51° | 50.6" | 1.4" | 90 | 1 |
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 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Tupelo’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 Tupelo’s center.
- Snow: Augusta, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beedeville 4 Ne, AR, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Tupelo’s climate
What is the weather like in Tupelo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tupelo in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Tupelo get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Augusta, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tupelo?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Beedeville 4 Ne, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Tupelo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 227 frost-free days, at Beedeville 4 Ne, AR.
What growing zone is Tupelo in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tupelo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tupelo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tupelo.
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.