No extremes in Fordland: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in January. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 69% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Fordland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fordland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fordland’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Fordland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO, 12 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fordland’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fordland
78% 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 Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO.
Living with Fordland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 24.
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 Fordland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fordland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fordland yet.
Climates most like Fordland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fordland, MO | 23° | 87° | 47" | 5.2" |
| Pottstown, PA | 22° | 87° | 47" | 4.2" |
| Centralia, IL | 23° | 87° | 45" | 6.5" |
| Vincennes, IN | 23° | 88° | 47" | 8.5" |
| Ashland, KY | 24° | 87° | 45" | 6.2" |
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 Fordland averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Fordland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fordland’s place among Missouri’s.
Fordland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fordland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 23° | 2.6" | 1.7" | 8 | 1 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 7 | 1 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 2.9" | 2.2" | 7 | 0 | 23° – 42° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 46.8" | 5.2" | 110 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fordland’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 Fordland’s center.
- Snow: Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO, 12 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Fordland’s climate
What is the weather like in Fordland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fordland in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 95 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 Fordland get?
About 5.2 inches in a normal winter at Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fordland?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Fordland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 191 frost-free days, at Marshfield 4 Wsw, MO.
What growing zone is Fordland in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fordland?
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 Fordland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fordland.
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.