Photo: John Trainor from Roswell, GA, USA · CC BY 2.0McDonough’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in McDonough at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McDonough’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McDonough’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in McDonough feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 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 Mcdonough 5 Ene, GA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts McDonough’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 51 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 113 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Jonesboro, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in McDonough
61% 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 Mcdonough 5 Ene, GA.
Living with McDonough’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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: March, April, May, September, October and November. 4.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McDonough from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McDonough and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McDonough yet.
Climates most like McDonough’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonough, GA | 34° | 90° | 51" | 0.8" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Spartanburg, SC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Clarksdale, MS | 34° | 91° | 55" | 0.4" |
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 McDonough averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 McDonough compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McDonough’s place among Georgia’s.
McDonough weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McDonough’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jonesboro, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 34° | 4.7" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 51.3" | 0.8" | 113 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where McDonough’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 McDonough’s center.
- Snow: Jonesboro, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mcdonough 5 Ene, GA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 McDonough’s climate
What is the weather like in McDonough?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McDonough in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 68 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does McDonough get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Jonesboro, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in McDonough?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 74 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Mcdonough 5 Ene, GA).
When is the first and last frost in McDonough?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 220 frost-free days, at Mcdonough 5 Ene, GA.
What growing zone is McDonough in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit McDonough?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is McDonough getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McDonough.
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.