No extremes in Branson West: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 89° on average. Only 63° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, April, May, September and October offer highs of 69–81°.
A year in Branson West at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Branson West’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Branson West’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Branson West feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Galena, MO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Branson West’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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galena, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Branson West
77% 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 Galena, MO.
Living with Branson West’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 21.
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 Branson West from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Branson West and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Branson West yet.
Climates most like Branson West’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branson West, MO | 26° | 89° | 46" | 6.9" |
| Salisbury, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Mount Vernon, IN | 25° | 88° | 47" | 8.4" |
| Harrisburg, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 7.2" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
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 Branson West averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
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 Branson West compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Branson West’s place among Missouri’s.
Branson West weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Branson West’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galena, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 2.7" | 3.6" | 7 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 2.5" | 1.1" | 6 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.4" | 9 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 40° – 54° |
| December | 48° | 28° | 3.0" | 0.8" | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 46.3" | 6.9" | 94 |
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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Branson West’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 Branson West’s center.
- Snow: Galena, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Galena, MO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Branson West’s climate
What is the weather like in Branson West?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Branson West in winter?
January nights average 26°. 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 30°.
How much snow does Branson West get?
About 6.9 inches in a normal winter at Galena, MO, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Branson West?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Galena, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Branson West?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 187 frost-free days, at Galena, MO.
What growing zone is Branson West 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 Branson West?
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 Branson West getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Branson West.
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.