In Chula, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 70°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 70% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from April to June and September to October, with highs of 64–84°.
A year in Chula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chula’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Chula 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 15 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chillicothe 2s, MO, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chula’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 Chillicothe 2s, MO, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chula
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Chillicothe 2s, MO.
Living with Chula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chula from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chula and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chula yet.
Climates most like Chula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chula, MO | 18° | 87° | 40" | 14" |
| Jacksonville, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 16" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Hamilton, OH | 22° | 87° | 43" | 9.7" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
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 Chula averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Chula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chula’s place among Missouri’s.
Chula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chula’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chillicothe 2s, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 6 | 9 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 1.7" | 4.5" | 7 | 7 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 2.6" | 1.6" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 57° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.3" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 34° – 51° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 1.7" | 2.4" | 7 | 4 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 40.0" | 13.9" | 109 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Chula’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 Chula’s center.
- Snow: Chillicothe 2s, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chillicothe 2s, MO, 11 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 Chula’s climate
What is the weather like in Chula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chula in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Chula get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Chillicothe 2s, MO, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chula?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Chillicothe 2s, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Chula?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 187 frost-free days, at Chillicothe 2s, MO.
What growing zone is Chula in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chula?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chula getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chula.
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.