Reed-Dorsey House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMore precipitation falls on Brownsville than on 91% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. The wettest month is May; the driest is August. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 22 to October 22.
A year in Brownsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brownsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brownsville’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Brownsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Nolin Rvr Lake, KY, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brownsville’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nolin Rvr Lake, KY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brownsville
75% 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 Nolin Rvr Lake, KY.
Living with Brownsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brownsville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brownsville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brownsville yet.
Climates most like Brownsville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, KY | 27° | 89° | 53" | 4.7" |
| Union City, TN | 28° | 89° | 53" | 5.8" |
| Poplar Bluff, MO | 26° | 90° | 50" | 5.4" |
| Cherokee Village, AR | 26° | 90° | 50" | 6.7" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
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 Brownsville averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Brownsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brownsville’s place among Kentucky’s.
Brownsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brownsville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nolin Rvr Lake, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 3.9" | 1.6" | 11 | 28° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 4.3" | 2.2" | 10 | 28° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 4.9" | 0.4" | 12 | 41° – 60° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 55° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 4.9" | 0.5" | 11 | 28° – 50° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 53.1" | 4.7" | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Brownsville’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 Brownsville’s center.
- Snow: Nolin Rvr Lake, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Nolin Rvr Lake, KY, 6 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 Brownsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Brownsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brownsville in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 108 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 28°.
How much snow does Brownsville get?
About 4.7 inches in a normal winter at Nolin Rvr Lake, KY, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Brownsville?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Nolin Rvr Lake, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Brownsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 182 frost-free days, at Nolin Rvr Lake, KY.
What growing zone is Brownsville in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brownsville?
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 Brownsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brownsville.
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.