In Chain of Rocks, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 21°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 67° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 70% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 10; autumn frost returns near October 26.
A year in Chain of Rocks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chain of Rocks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chain of Rocks’ place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Chain of Rocks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Weldon Spring Nws, MO, 16 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chain of Rocks’ center in zone 6b: 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Weldon Spring Nws, MO, is heaviest from January through February, about 4 inches a month. 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 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chain of Rocks
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 Weldon Spring Nws, MO.
Living with Chain of Rocks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 26.
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 Chain of Rocks from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chain of Rocks and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chain of Rocks yet.
Climates most like Chain of Rocks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain of Rocks, MO | 21° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
| Louisburg, KS | 21° | 88° | 41" | 14" |
| Lake of the Woods, VA | 25° | 88° | 44" | 11" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Hamilton, OH | 22° | 87° | 43" | 9.7" |
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 Chain of Rocks averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Chain of Rocks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chain of Rocks’ place among Missouri’s.
Chain of Rocks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chain of Rocks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Weldon Spring Nws, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 21° | 2.4" | 4.1" | 8 | 5 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 25° | 2.2" | 3.7" | 8 | 4 | 24° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 44° | 26° | 2.5" | 3.0" | 8 | 4 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 41.7" | 13.5" | 107 | 15 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Chain of Rocks’ 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 Chain of Rocks’ center.
- Snow: Weldon Spring Nws, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Weldon Spring Nws, MO, 16 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Chain of Rocks’ climate
What is the weather like in Chain of Rocks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chain of Rocks in winter?
January nights average 21°. 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 much snow does Chain of Rocks get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Weldon Spring Nws, MO, heaviest from January through February, about 4 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 15 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chain of Rocks?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Weldon Spring Nws, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Chain of Rocks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 199 frost-free days, at Weldon Spring Nws, MO.
What growing zone is Chain of Rocks in?
Zone 6b 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 Chain of Rocks?
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 Chain of Rocks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chain of Rocks.
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.