Precipitation in Ellington tops that of 78% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 23°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 70–81°.
A year in Ellington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellington’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Ellington 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 9 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clearwater Dam, MO, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellington’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 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 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February 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 Ellington
76% 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 Clearwater Dam, MO.
Living with Ellington’s 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 9 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 →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellington from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellington yet.
Climates most like Ellington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington, MO | 23° | 89° | 49" | 6.0" |
| Owensboro, KY | 25° | 88° | 48" | 5.7" |
| Siloam Springs, AR | 26° | 90° | 48" | 6.5" |
| Mount Carmel, IL | 24° | 88° | 48" | 8.9" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
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 Ellington averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Ellington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellington’s place among Missouri’s.
Ellington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellington’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 | 44° | 23° | 3.1" | 2.3" | 6 | 1 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 26° | 3.1" | 1.9" | 7 | 1 | 28° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 34° | 4.2" | 1.3" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 43° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 34° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 26° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 24° – 44° |
| Year | 68° | 44° | 48.5" | 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 44°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ellington’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 Ellington’s center.
- Snow: Eminence 1 N, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clearwater Dam, MO, 13 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 Ellington’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellington?
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 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellington in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 109 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 27°.
How much snow does Ellington 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 Ellington?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 65°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Clearwater Dam, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Ellington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 199 frost-free days, at Clearwater Dam, MO.
What growing zone is Ellington 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 Ellington?
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 Ellington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellington.
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.