For weather, Hunnewell is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 68°. In January, nights here are colder than in 69% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from April to June and September to October brings highs of 64–83°.
A year in Hunnewell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hunnewell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hunnewell’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Hunnewell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Shelbina, MO, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hunnewell’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Shelbina, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hunnewell
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Shelbina, MO.
Living with Hunnewell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 28% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hunnewell from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hunnewell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hunnewell yet.
Climates most like Hunnewell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunnewell, MO | 18° | 87° | 41" | 16" |
| Mattoon, IL | 20° | 86° | 41" | 15" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Prairie Village, KS | 21° | 88° | 40" | 14" |
| Dayton, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 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 Hunnewell averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Hunnewell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hunnewell’s place among Missouri’s.
Hunnewell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hunnewell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Shelbina, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 1.7" | 5.7" | 6 | 9 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 2.0" | 3.9" | 7 | 7 | 19° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.8" | 1.7" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.7" | 0.9" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 1.9" | 3.4" | 7 | 5 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 40.7" | 15.9" | 101 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Hunnewell’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 Hunnewell’s center.
- Snow: Shelbina, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Shelbina, MO, 10 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 Hunnewell’s climate
What is the weather like in Hunnewell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hunnewell in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Hunnewell get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Shelbina, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hunnewell?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Shelbina, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Hunnewell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 177 frost-free days, at Shelbina, MO.
What growing zone is Hunnewell in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hunnewell?
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 Hunnewell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hunnewell.
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.