Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on Harlan than on 87% of U.S. towns: 51 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 25°. Seasons differ by 60°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights stay gentler than in 64% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Harlan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harlan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harlan’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Harlan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baxter, KY, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harlan’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Blackmont, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harlan
80% 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 Baxter, KY.
Living with Harlan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harlan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harlan and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Harlan yet.
Climates most like Harlan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan, KY | 25° | 85° | 51" | 10" |
| Ocean Acres, NJ | 25° | 85° | 47" | 10" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
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 Harlan averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in all but 131 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 Harlan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harlan’s place among Kentucky’s.
Harlan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harlan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Blackmont, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 4.1" | 3.5" | 11 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 50° | 28° | 4.3" | 2.4" | 10 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 34° | 4.9" | 2.5" | 11 | 38° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 42° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 70° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 58° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 28° | 5.0" | 1.6" | 10 | 28° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 51.1" | 10.1" | 110 |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Harlan’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 Harlan’s center.
- Snow: Blackmont, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baxter, KY, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Harlan’s climate
What is the weather like in Harlan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harlan in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Harlan get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Blackmont, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Harlan?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Baxter, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Harlan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 197 frost-free days, at Baxter, KY.
What growing zone is Harlan in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Harlan?
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 Harlan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 131 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Harlan.
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.