Photo: Bedford at en.wikipedia · Public domainPrecipitation in Hartford tops that of 84% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
January mornings start at about 26°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in December. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 70–82°.
A year in Hartford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hartford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hartford’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Hartford 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 10 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaver Dam, KY, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hartford’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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rochester Ferry, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hartford
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 Beaver Dam, KY.
Living with Hartford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hartford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hartford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hartford yet.
Climates most like Hartford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford, KY | 26° | 89° | 50" | 4.4" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
| Cherokee Village, AR | 26° | 90° | 50" | 6.7" |
| Dexter, MO | 27° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
| Sevierville, TN | 29° | 89° | 51" | 3.6" |
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 Hartford averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Hartford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hartford’s place among Kentucky’s.
Hartford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hartford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rochester Ferry, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 3.5" | 1.3" | 9 | 28° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 3.9" | 1.4" | 9 | 27° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 4.7" | 0.5" | 11 | 40° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 46° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 11 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 73° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 4.3" | 1.0" | 10 | 27° – 50° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 49.9" | 4.4" | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hartford’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 Hartford’s center.
- Snow: Rochester Ferry, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaver Dam, KY, 1.2 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 Hartford’s climate
What is the weather like in Hartford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hartford in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 92 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 28°.
How much snow does Hartford get?
About 4.4 inches in a normal winter at Rochester Ferry, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Hartford?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Beaver Dam, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Hartford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 192 frost-free days, at Beaver Dam, KY.
What growing zone is Hartford 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 Hartford?
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 Hartford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hartford.
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.