Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Birch Tree tops that of 75% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
January mornings start at about 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 71% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Birch Tree at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Birch Tree’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Birch Tree’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Birch Tree feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winona 3 Sw, MO, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Birch Tree’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Eminence 1 N, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Birch Tree
83% 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 Winona 3 Sw, MO.
Living with Birch Tree’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 46% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Birch Tree from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Birch Tree and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Birch Tree yet.
Climates most like Birch Tree’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Tree, MO | 23° | 89° | 48" | 6.0" |
| Owensboro, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 5.7" |
| Harrisburg, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 7.2" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
| Clarksville, IN | 25° | 88° | 49" | 4.3" |
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 Birch Tree averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Birch Tree compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Birch Tree’s place among Missouri’s.
Birch Tree weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Birch Tree’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eminence 1 N, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 23° | 2.9" | 2.3" | 6 | 1 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 27° | 3.0" | 1.9" | 7 | 1 | 29° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 4.5" | 1.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 68° | 45° | 47.9" | 6.0" | 89 | 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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Birch Tree’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 Birch Tree’s center.
- Snow: Eminence 1 N, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winona 3 Sw, MO, 6 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 Birch Tree’s climate
What is the weather like in Birch Tree?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Birch Tree in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 125 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 28°.
How much snow does Birch Tree get?
About 6.0 inches in a normal winter at Eminence 1 N, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Birch Tree?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 66°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Winona 3 Sw, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Birch Tree?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 176 frost-free days, at Winona 3 Sw, MO.
What growing zone is Birch Tree in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Birch Tree?
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 Birch Tree getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Birch Tree.
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.