Photo: Mobilus In Mobili · CC BY-SA 2.0Frankfort gets more rain and snow than 82% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 25° on average. Winter and summer sit 63° apart. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 63% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 15; in half of years the first frost comes by October 24.
A year in Frankfort at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Frankfort’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Frankfort’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Frankfort feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Frankfort Capital City Airport, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Frankfort’s center in zone 6b: 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lexington Bluegrass Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Frankfort
77% 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 Frankfort Capital City Airport.
Living with Frankfort’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 8.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Frankfort from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Frankfort and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Frankfort yet.
Climates most like Frankfort’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfort, KY | 25° | 87° | 49" | 15" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Pikesville, MD | 24° | 88° | 48" | 19" |
| Carterville, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
| Hammonton, NJ | 25° | 87° | 47" | 19" |
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 Frankfort averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Frankfort compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Frankfort’s place among Kentucky’s.
Frankfort weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Frankfort’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lexington Bluegrass Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.5" | 4.7" | 13 | 4 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 3.5" | 4.5" | 12 | 4 | 25° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 4.5" | 2.8" | 13 | 2 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.1" | 1.9" | 13 | 2 | 25° – 48° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 49.4" | 14.5" | 134 | 12 |
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 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Frankfort’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 Frankfort’s center.
- Snow: Lexington Bluegrass Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Frankfort Capital City Airport, 2.2 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 Frankfort’s climate
What is the weather like in Frankfort?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Frankfort in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 98 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Frankfort get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Lexington Bluegrass Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Frankfort?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Frankfort Capital City Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Frankfort?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 192 frost-free days, at Frankfort Capital City Airport.
What growing zone is Frankfort in?
Zone 6b 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 Frankfort?
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 Frankfort getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Frankfort.
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.