Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Cobalt sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 88°. Temperatures cover 65° across the year, low to high. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 69% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 68–80°.
A year in Cobalt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cobalt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cobalt’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Cobalt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fredericktown, MO, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cobalt’s 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fredericktown, MO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cobalt
81% 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 Fredericktown, MO.
Living with Cobalt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 16.
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 Cobalt from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (27%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 43%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cobalt and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cobalt yet.
Climates most like Cobalt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobalt, MO | 22° | 88° | 47" | 9.3" |
| Vincennes, IN | 23° | 88° | 47" | 8.5" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
| Robinson, IL | 22° | 87° | 45" | 12" |
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 Cobalt averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 99 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 Cobalt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cobalt’s place among Missouri’s.
Cobalt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cobalt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fredericktown, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 22° | 3.0" | 2.8" | 8 | 5 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 3.0" | 3.2" | 8 | 4 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 4.1" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 3.3" | 1.9" | 9 | 3 | 22° – 44° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 46.9" | 9.3" | 103 | 12 |
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°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Cobalt’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 Cobalt’s center.
- Snow: Fredericktown, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fredericktown, MO, 2.3 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 Cobalt’s climate
What is the weather like in Cobalt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cobalt in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 115 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 26°.
How much snow does Cobalt get?
About 9.3 inches in a normal winter at Fredericktown, MO, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cobalt?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Fredericktown, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Cobalt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 174 frost-free days, at Fredericktown, MO.
What growing zone is Cobalt 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 Cobalt?
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 Cobalt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 99 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cobalt.
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.