No extremes in McDowell: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 26° on average. July is the wettest month, November the driest. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 70% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 23; autumn frost returns near October 23.
A year in McDowell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McDowell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McDowell’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in McDowell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Prestonsburg 3wsw, KY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts McDowell’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 Ivel, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McDowell
82% 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 Prestonsburg 3wsw, KY.
Living with McDowell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 23.
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 McDowell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (99%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McDowell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McDowell yet.
Climates most like McDowell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell, KY | 26° | 87° | 47" | 3.6" |
| Rockville, MD | 25° | 86° | 45" | 5.8" |
| Roxboro, NC | 28° | 88° | 46" | 3.4" |
| Idylwood, VA | 26° | 87° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Clarksville, IN | 25° | 88° | 49" | 4.3" |
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 McDowell averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 McDowell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McDowell’s place among Kentucky’s.
McDowell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McDowell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ivel, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 3.5" | 1.7" | 8 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 3.7" | 1.2" | 8 | 28° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 4.2" | 0.3" | 8 | 40° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 43° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 59° | 34° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 49° | 29° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 7 | 29° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 45° | 47.0" | 3.6" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where McDowell’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 McDowell’s center.
- Snow: Ivel, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Prestonsburg 3wsw, KY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 McDowell’s climate
What is the weather like in McDowell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, 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 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McDowell in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does McDowell get?
About 3.6 inches in a normal winter at Ivel, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in McDowell?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Prestonsburg 3wsw, KY).
When is the first and last frost in McDowell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 183 frost-free days, at Prestonsburg 3wsw, KY.
What growing zone is McDowell in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit McDowell?
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 McDowell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McDowell.
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.