Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0More precipitation falls on Upton than on 92% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Upton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upton’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Upton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Millerstown 4e, KY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upton’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 53 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 96 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Glendale, KY, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Upton
81% 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 Millerstown 4e, KY.
Living with Upton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Upton yet.
Climates most like Upton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton, KY | 25° | 87° | 53" | 0.1" |
| Sawmills, NC | 29° | 88° | 48" | 0.3" |
| Cleveland, TN | 30° | 89° | 56" | 1.1" |
| Bremen, GA | 31° | 88° | 55" | 0.6" |
| Cullman, AL | 31° | 89° | 58" | 0.6" |
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 Upton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Upton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upton’s place among Kentucky’s.
Upton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glendale, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 25° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 26° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 53.4" | 0.1" | 96 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Upton’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 Upton’s center.
- Snow: Glendale, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Millerstown 4e, KY, 6 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Upton’s climate
What is the weather like in Upton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upton in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 113 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 26°.
How much snow does Upton get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Glendale, KY, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Upton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 26 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Millerstown 4e, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Upton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 178 frost-free days, at Millerstown 4e, KY.
What growing zone is Upton 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 Upton?
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 Upton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upton.
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.