Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Hardinsburg tops that of 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 87°. A year here swings 63° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 69–81°.
A year in Hardinsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hardinsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hardinsburg’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Hardinsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rough Rvr Lake, KY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hardinsburg’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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rough Rvr Lake, 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 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hardinsburg
76% 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 Rough Rvr Lake, KY.
Living with Hardinsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hardinsburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hardinsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hardinsburg yet.
Climates most like Hardinsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardinsburg, KY | 25° | 87° | 52" | 4.4" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Ambler, PA | 23° | 87° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Seymour, TN | 29° | 88° | 52" | 4.6" |
| Jackson, MO | 25° | 89° | 48" | 7.5" |
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 Hardinsburg averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Hardinsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hardinsburg’s place among Kentucky’s.
Hardinsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hardinsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rough Rvr Lake, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.7" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 9 | 2 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 60° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 35° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.6" | 0.4" | 10 | 1 | 25° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 51.6" | 4.4" | 105 | 6 |
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 9°.
Where Hardinsburg’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 Hardinsburg’s center.
- Snow: Rough Rvr Lake, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rough Rvr Lake, KY, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Hardinsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Hardinsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hardinsburg in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 117 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Hardinsburg get?
About 4.4 inches in a normal winter at Rough Rvr Lake, KY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hardinsburg?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rough Rvr Lake, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Hardinsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 187 frost-free days, at Rough Rvr Lake, KY.
What growing zone is Hardinsburg 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 Hardinsburg?
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 Hardinsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hardinsburg.
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.