Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Science Hill’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Science Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Science Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Science Hill’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Science Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Somerset 2 N, KY, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Science Hill’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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Somerset 2 Ne, KY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Science Hill
73% 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 Somerset 2 N, KY.
Living with Science Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Science Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Science Hill and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Science Hill in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Science Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science Hill, KY | 25° | 85° | 53" | 11" |
| Fletcher, NC | 27° | 84° | 50" | 10" |
| Lansdale, PA | 22° | 86° | 49" | 13" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Bedford, IN | 22° | 86° | 49" | 10" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Science Hill averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Science Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Science Hill’s place among Kentucky’s.
Science Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Science Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Somerset 2 Ne, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 4.4" | 4.5" | 11 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 4.1" | 2.6" | 9 | 25° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 5.1" | 1.2" | 12 | 38° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 57° | 35° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 4.9" | 2.6" | 11 | 27° – 48° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 52.9" | 10.9" | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Science Hill’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 Science Hill’s center.
- Snow: Somerset 2 Ne, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Somerset 2 N, KY, 4 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 Science Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Science Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Science Hill in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 94 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Science Hill get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Somerset 2 Ne, KY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Science Hill?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Somerset 2 N, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Science Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 206 frost-free days, at Somerset 2 N, KY.
What growing zone is Science Hill 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 Science Hill?
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 Science Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Science Hill.
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.