Precipitation in Big Clifty tops that of 90% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
January nights here settle around 25°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 65% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Big Clifty at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Clifty’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Clifty’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Big Clifty feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leitchfield 2 N, KY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Clifty’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Leitchfield 2 N, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Clifty
84% 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 Leitchfield 2 N, KY.
Living with Big Clifty’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 15.
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 Big Clifty from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Clifty and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Clifty yet.
Climates most like Big Clifty’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Clifty, KY | 25° | 88° | 52" | 9.4" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Marion, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 9.8" |
| Ambler, PA | 23° | 87° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Jefferson City, TN | 28° | 87° | 49" | 10" |
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 Big Clifty averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Big Clifty compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Clifty’s place among Kentucky’s.
Big Clifty weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Clifty’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leitchfield 2 N, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 25° | 3.8" | 4.0" | 11 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 4.0" | 2.1" | 10 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.8" | 12 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 28° | 4.7" | 2.4" | 12 | 26° – 49° |
| Year | 68° | 45° | 52.4" | 9.4" | 117 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Big Clifty’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 Big Clifty’s center.
- Snow: Leitchfield 2 N, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leitchfield 2 N, KY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Big Clifty’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Clifty?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Clifty in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Big Clifty get?
About 9.4 inches in a normal winter at Leitchfield 2 N, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Big Clifty?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 65°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Leitchfield 2 N, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Big Clifty?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 172 frost-free days, at Leitchfield 2 N, KY.
What growing zone is Big Clifty in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Clifty?
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 Big Clifty getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Clifty.
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.