Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHenderson’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Henderson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Henderson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Henderson’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Henderson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 207 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 29. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Henderson State Police, KY, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Henderson 8 Ssw, KY, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Henderson’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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Henderson 8 Ssw, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Henderson
75% 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 Henderson 8 Ssw, KY.
Living with Henderson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
207 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Henderson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Henderson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Henderson yet.
Climates most like Henderson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Aurora, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 12" |
| Seaford, DE | 27° | 89° | 46" | 13" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
| Laurel, MD | 25° | 88° | 46" | 16" |
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 Henderson averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Henderson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Henderson’s place among Kentucky’s.
Henderson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Henderson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Henderson 8 Ssw, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.4" | 4.3" | 10 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.3" | 3.2" | 9 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 4.6" | 1.7" | 12 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 51° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 81° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 37° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 40° – 53° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.0" | 2.9" | 10 | 24° – 47° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 47.6" | 12.4" | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 47°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Henderson’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 Henderson’s center.
- Snow: Henderson 8 Ssw, KY.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Henderson 8 Ssw, KY, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Henderson State Police, KY, 3 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 Henderson’s climate
What is the weather like in Henderson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Henderson in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 93 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 27°.
How much snow does Henderson get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Henderson 8 Ssw, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Henderson?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Henderson 8 Ssw, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Henderson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 207 frost-free days, at Henderson 8 Ssw, KY.
What growing zone is Henderson 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 Henderson?
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 Henderson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Henderson.
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.