Crutcher House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainWet weather: 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Eminence, more than in 85% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Eminence at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Eminence’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Eminence’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Eminence feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Shelbyville 1 E, KY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Eminence’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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
May is the wettest month and September the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Eminence
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 Shelbyville 1 E, KY.
Living with Eminence’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Eminence from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Eminence and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Eminence yet.
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 Eminence averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Eminence compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Eminence’s place among Kentucky’s.
Eminence weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Eminence’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.6" | 25° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 3.5" | 24° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 4.6" | 38° – 56° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 4.9" | 49° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.5" | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 5.0" | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 5.0" | 70° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.6" | 70° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.4" | 64° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.7" | 52° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 34° | 3.5" | 38° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 4.3" | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 50.5" |
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 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Eminence’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 Eminence’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Shelbyville 1 E, KY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Eminence’s climate
What is the weather like in Eminence?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Eminence in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How hot does it get in Eminence?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Shelbyville 1 E, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Eminence?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 161 frost-free days, at Shelbyville 1 E, KY.
What growing zone is Eminence in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Eminence?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Eminence getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Eminence.
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.