Photo: Nyttend · Public domainJackson’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Jackson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jackson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jackson’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Jackson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by November 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Quicksand, KY, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Jackson, KY, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jackson’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jackson, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jackson
77% 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 Jackson, KY.
Living with Jackson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
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 Jackson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jackson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jackson yet.
Climates most like Jackson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, KY | 25° | 87° | 50" | 23" |
| Atco, NJ | 25° | 87° | 47" | 24" |
| Drexel Hill, PA | 25° | 87° | 47" | 23" |
| Pike Creek Valley, DE | 24° | 87° | 48" | 20" |
| Elkton, MD | 25° | 87° | 47" | 20" |
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 Jackson averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Jackson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jackson’s place among Kentucky’s.
Jackson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jackson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 3.6" | 7.4" | 14 | 6 | 27° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 28° | 3.8" | 6.7" | 14 | 5 | 27° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 34° | 4.4" | 4.0" | 14 | 2 | 39° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 43° | 4.4" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 52° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 4.3" | 4.1" | 14 | 4 | 27° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 45° | 49.5" | 23.4" | 148 | 17 |
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 7°.
Where Jackson’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 Jackson’s center.
- Snow: Jackson, KY.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Jackson, KY, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Quicksand, KY, 2.7 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 Jackson’s climate
What is the weather like in Jackson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jackson in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 114 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 Jackson get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Jackson, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jackson?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Jackson, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Jackson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 208 frost-free days, at Jackson, KY.
What growing zone is Jackson in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jackson?
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 Jackson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jackson.
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.