Pine Knot’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Pine Knot at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pine Knot’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pine Knot’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Pine Knot feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stearns 2s, KY, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pine Knot’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oneida, TN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pine Knot
83% 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 Stearns 2s, KY.
Living with Pine Knot’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 27% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pine Knot from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pine Knot and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pine Knot yet.
Climates most like Pine Knot’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Knot, KY | 26° | 85° | 55" | 5.5" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Rainsville, AL | 31° | 87° | 57" | 5.0" |
| Dickson, TN | 27° | 88° | 53" | 2.5" |
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 Pine Knot averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
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 Pine Knot compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pine Knot’s place among Kentucky’s.
Pine Knot weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pine Knot’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oneida, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 4.6" | 2.2" | 11 | 1 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 4.8" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 28° – 48° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 5.3" | 0.8" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 57° | 34° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 5.4" | 1.0" | 12 | 0 | 28° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 55.2" | 5.5" | 129 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Pine Knot’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 Pine Knot’s center.
- Snow: Oneida, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stearns 2s, KY, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Pine Knot’s climate
What is the weather like in Pine Knot?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pine Knot in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 119 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 26°.
How much snow does Pine Knot get?
About 5.5 inches in a normal winter at Oneida, TN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pine Knot?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Stearns 2s, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Pine Knot?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 177 frost-free days, at Stearns 2s, KY.
What growing zone is Pine Knot in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pine Knot?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pine Knot 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 Pine Knot.
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.