J. B. Allen House · Photo: TEDD LiGGETT · CC BY-SA 4.0Smithfield gets more rain and snow than 87% of U.S. towns: 51 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 86°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 63°. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Smithfield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smithfield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smithfield’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Smithfield 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, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smithfield’s center in zone 6b: 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 51 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and September the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Smithfield
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 Smithfield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smithfield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smithfield and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smithfield yet.
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 Smithfield averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Smithfield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smithfield’s place among Kentucky’s.
Smithfield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smithfield’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.6" | 25° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 3.5" | 24° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 4.5" | 38° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 5.0" | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.6" | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 5.2" | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 5.0" | 70° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.7" | 70° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.5" | 64° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 52° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 34° | 3.6" | 38° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 4.3" | 24° – 47° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 51.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Smithfield’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 Smithfield’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crestwood 4ne, KY, 9 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 Smithfield’s climate
What is the weather like in Smithfield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smithfield in winter?
January nights average 24°. 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 hot does it get in Smithfield?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 37 days a year reach 90° (Crestwood 4ne, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Smithfield?
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 Smithfield in?
Zone 6b 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 Smithfield?
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 Smithfield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smithfield.
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.