More precipitation falls on River Bluff than on 85% of U.S. towns: 51 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 65% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in River Bluff at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about River Bluff’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with River Bluff’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in River Bluff feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crestwood 4ne, KY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts River Bluff’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 Louisville Mcalpine, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in River Bluff
79% 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 Crestwood 4ne, KY.
Living with River Bluff’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in River Bluff from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →River Bluff and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around River Bluff yet.
Climates most like River Bluff’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Bluff, KY | 25° | 88° | 51" | 4.3" |
| Harrisburg, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 7.2" |
| Plymouth Meeting, PA | 24° | 87° | 48" | 7.6" |
| Lenoir, NC | 28° | 88° | 50" | 4.1" |
| 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 River Bluff averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 River Bluff compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with River Bluff’s place among Kentucky’s.
River Bluff weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at River Bluff’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Louisville Mcalpine, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.5" | 2.3" | 11 | 25° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 10 | 25° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 4.5" | 0.3" | 13 | 39° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.2" | 1.4" | 12 | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 50.5" | 4.3" | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where River Bluff’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 River Bluff’s center.
- Snow: Louisville Mcalpine, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crestwood 4ne, KY, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher; 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 River Bluff’s climate
What is the weather like in River Bluff?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in River Bluff in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 105 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 River Bluff get?
About 4.3 inches in a normal winter at Louisville Mcalpine, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in River Bluff?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90° (Crestwood 4ne, KY).
When is the first and last frost in River Bluff?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 193 frost-free days, at Crestwood 4ne, KY.
What growing zone is River Bluff in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit River Bluff?
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 River Bluff getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in River Bluff.
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.