Photo: AbeEzekowitz · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer afternoons in Joplin are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 25°. In January, nights here are milder than in 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.6° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Joplin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Joplin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Joplin’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Joplin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Joplin Regional Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Joplin’s center in zone 7a: 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Neosho, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Joplin
71% 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 Joplin Regional Airport.
Living with Joplin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Joplin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Joplin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Joplin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Joplin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin, MO | 25° | 90° | 46" | 8.1" |
| Mechanicsville, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 8.8" |
| Fruitland, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Murphysboro, IL | 24° | 89° | 47" | 9.9" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Joplin averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Joplin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Joplin’s place among Missouri’s.
Joplin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Joplin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Neosho, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 2.0" | 2.8" | 6 | 0 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 2.0" | 0.9" | 6 | 0 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 3.4" | 2.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| April | 69° | 46° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| December | 48° | 28° | 2.5" | 2.3" | 6 | 0 | 25° – 45° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 45.5" | 8.1" | 86 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Joplin’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 Joplin’s center.
- Snow: Neosho, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Joplin Regional Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Joplin’s climate
What is the weather like in Joplin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Joplin in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 87 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Joplin get?
About 8.1 inches in a normal winter at Neosho, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Joplin?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Joplin Regional Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Joplin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 200 frost-free days, at Joplin Regional Airport.
What growing zone is Joplin in?
Zone 7a 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 Joplin?
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 Joplin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Joplin.
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.