Hickory gets more rain and snow than 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches of precipitation a year
July afternoons average 89°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 72% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 5; in half of years the first frost comes by October 28.
A year in Hickory at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hickory’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hickory’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Hickory feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paducah, KY, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hickory’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mayfield State Police, KY, falls mostly in February. 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 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hickory
70% 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 Paducah, KY.
Living with Hickory’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hickory from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hickory and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hickory yet.
Climates most like Hickory’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory, KY | 27° | 89° | 52" | 1.4" |
| Sevierville, TN | 29° | 89° | 51" | 3.6" |
| Batesville, AR | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.2" |
| LaFayette, GA | 31° | 89° | 53" | 2.1" |
| Emporia, VA | 29° | 90° | 48" | 1.4" |
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 Hickory averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Hickory compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hickory’s place among Kentucky’s.
Hickory weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hickory’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mayfield State Police, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 31° | 4.3" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 28° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 38° | 4.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 57° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 66° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 27° – 49° |
| Year | 69° | 48° | 51.5" | 1.4" | 94 | 1 |
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 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hickory’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 Hickory’s center.
- Snow: Mayfield State Police, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paducah, KY, 19 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 Hickory’s climate
What is the weather like in Hickory?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hickory in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Hickory get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Mayfield State Police, KY, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hickory?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Paducah, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Hickory?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 206 frost-free days, at Paducah, KY.
What growing zone is Hickory in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hickory?
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 Hickory getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hickory.
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.