Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on Morehead than on 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 60% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Plan time outside from April to June and September to October, when highs sit at 69–84°.
A year in Morehead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morehead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morehead’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Morehead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cave Run Lake, KY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morehead’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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Morehead State Police, KY, falls mostly in January. 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 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Morehead
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 Cave Run Lake, KY.
Living with Morehead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 8.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morehead from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morehead and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Morehead yet.
Climates most like Morehead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead, KY | 24° | 87° | 50" | 6.5" |
| Ambler, PA | 23° | 87° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Washington, IN | 22° | 87° | 48" | 9.2" |
| Harrisburg, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 7.2" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
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 Morehead averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Morehead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morehead’s place among Kentucky’s.
Morehead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morehead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Morehead State Police, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.5" | 2.8" | 11 | 25° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 3.4" | 2.2" | 9 | 24° – 44° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 11 | 39° – 57° |
| April | 69° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 64° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 80° | 55° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 7 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 57° | 33° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 28° | 4.1" | 0.6" | 10 | 27° – 48° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 49.5" | 6.5" | 111 |
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 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Morehead’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 Morehead’s center.
- Snow: Morehead State Police, KY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cave Run Lake, KY, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Morehead’s climate
What is the weather like in Morehead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morehead in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 101 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 25°.
How much snow does Morehead get?
About 6.5 inches in a normal winter at Morehead State Police, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Morehead?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 64°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Cave Run Lake, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Morehead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 189 frost-free days, at Cave Run Lake, KY.
What growing zone is Morehead 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 Morehead?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Morehead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morehead.
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.