Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Gideon tops that of 84% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
July afternoons average 90°. Winter and summer sit 62° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 29; in half of years the first frost comes by November 3.
A year in Gideon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gideon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gideon’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Gideon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Malden Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gideon’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Portageville, MO, is heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August 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 Gideon
66% 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 Malden Muni Airport.
Living with Gideon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gideon from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gideon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gideon yet.
Climates most like Gideon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gideon, MO | 29° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
| Forest City, NC | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Nashville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 4.7" |
| Franklin, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.1" |
| Bowling Green, KY | 28° | 89° | 51" | 8.5" |
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 Gideon averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Gideon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gideon’s place among Missouri’s.
Gideon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gideon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Portageville, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 29° | 3.7" | 2.4" | 10 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 32° | 3.8" | 2.2" | 9 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| March | 60° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 48° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 59° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 71° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 59° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 32° | 4.6" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 70° | 50° | 50.0" | 6.6" | 110 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gideon’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 Gideon’s center.
- Snow: Portageville, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Malden Muni Airport, 12 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 Gideon’s climate
What is the weather like in Gideon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gideon in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Gideon get?
About 6.6 inches in a normal winter at Portageville, MO, heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gideon?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 71°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Malden Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Gideon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 221 frost-free days, at Malden Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Gideon in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gideon?
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 Gideon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gideon.
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.