Summer arrives in force in Golden, hotter than in 75% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 26° on average. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 65% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.6° higher. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 70–82°.
A year in Golden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Golden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Golden’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Golden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Seligman, MO, 15 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Golden’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 Galena, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Golden
79% 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 Seligman, MO.
Living with Golden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 22.
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 Golden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Golden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Golden yet.
Climates most like Golden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden, MO | 26° | 90° | 46" | 6.9" |
| Mechanicsville, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 8.8" |
| Salisbury, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Eden, NC | 28° | 89° | 47" | 4.5" |
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 Golden averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Golden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Golden’s place among Missouri’s.
Golden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Golden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galena, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 26° | 2.7" | 3.6" | 7 | 31° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 2.5" | 1.1" | 6 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 4.1" | 1.4" | 9 | 41° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 51° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 59° | 37° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 49° | 29° | 3.0" | 0.8" | 6 | 27° – 46° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 45.9" | 6.9" | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Golden’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 Golden’s center.
- Snow: Galena, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Seligman, MO, 15 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft higher; 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 Golden’s climate
What is the weather like in Golden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Golden in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 110 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 31°.
How much snow does Golden get?
About 6.9 inches in a normal winter at Galena, MO, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Golden?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Seligman, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Golden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 185 frost-free days, at Seligman, MO.
What growing zone is Golden in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Golden?
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 Golden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Golden.
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.