For weather, Bel-Nor is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
Deep winter brings January lows near 23°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 67% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.
A year in Bel-Nor at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bel-Nor’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bel-Nor’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Bel-Nor feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Louis Lambert International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bel-Nor’s center in zone 7a: 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at St Louis Lambert International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bel-Nor
72% 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 St Louis Lambert International Airport.
Living with Bel-Nor’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 4.
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 Bel-Nor from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 42%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bel-Nor and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bel-Nor in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bel-Nor’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bel-Nor, MO | 23° | 88° | 42" | 17" |
| Louisburg, KS | 21° | 88° | 41" | 14" |
| Ashburn, VA | 25° | 88° | 43" | 21" |
| Reading, OH | 23° | 87° | 44" | 16" |
| Chillum, MD | 26° | 88° | 45" | 16" |
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 Bel-Nor averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Bel-Nor compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bel-Nor’s place among Missouri’s.
Bel-Nor weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bel-Nor’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from St Louis Lambert International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 2.5" | 5.7" | 9 | 7 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 27° | 2.1" | 4.3" | 9 | 4 | 26° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 3.4" | 2.3" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 4.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 69° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 80° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 55° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.9" | 9 | 1 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 2.7" | 3.2" | 9 | 4 | 22° – 44° |
| Year | 66° | 47° | 42.2" | 16.6" | 114 | 17 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bel-Nor’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 Bel-Nor’s center.
- Snow: St Louis Lambert International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Louis Lambert International Airport, 5 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 Bel-Nor’s climate
What is the weather like in Bel-Nor?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bel-Nor in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 85 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 Bel-Nor get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at St Louis Lambert International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bel-Nor?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 69°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (St Louis Lambert International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bel-Nor?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 215 frost-free days, at St Louis Lambert International Airport.
What growing zone is Bel-Nor in?
Zone 7a 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 Bel-Nor?
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 Bel-Nor getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bel-Nor.
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.