Photo: Henry the heron at English Wikipedia · Public domainPrecipitation in Tell City tops that of 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 62°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 5, with the first autumn frost due around November 1.
A year in Tell City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tell City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tell City’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Tell City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tell City, IN, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tell City’s center in zone 7a: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cannelton, IN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tell City
79% 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 Tell City, IN.
Living with Tell City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tell City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tell City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Tell City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Tell City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tell City, IN | 26° | 87° | 50" | 11" |
| Hazard, KY | 26° | 87° | 49" | 8.8" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Jefferson City, TN | 28° | 87° | 49" | 10" |
| Martinsville, VA | 27° | 88° | 47" | 9.4" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Tell City averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Tell City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tell City’s place among Indiana’s.
Tell City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tell City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cannelton, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 26° | 3.6" | 3.5" | 11 | 3 | 27° – 44° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.6" | 2.8" | 9 | 2 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 4.6" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.3" | 3.4" | 11 | 2 | 25° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 49.8" | 10.7" | 111 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Tell City’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 Tell City’s center.
- Snow: Cannelton, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tell City, IN, 0.9 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 Tell City’s climate
What is the weather like in Tell City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tell City in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Tell City get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Cannelton, IN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tell City?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Tell City, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Tell City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 208 frost-free days, at Tell City, IN.
What growing zone is Tell City in?
Zone 7a 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 Tell City?
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 Tell City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tell City.
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.