Licking’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Licking at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Licking’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Licking’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Licking feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Licking 4n, MO, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Licking’s center in zone 6b: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Licking 4n, MO, falls mostly in January and December. 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 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Licking
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 Licking 4n, MO.
Living with Licking’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 34% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Licking from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Licking and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Licking yet.
Climates most like Licking’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licking, MO | 23° | 88° | 46" | 11" |
| Mount Vernon, IL | 23° | 87° | 46" | 10" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Vincennes, IN | 23° | 88° | 47" | 8.5" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
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 Licking averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
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 Licking compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Licking’s place among Missouri’s.
Licking weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Licking’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Licking 4n, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 23° | 2.6" | 3.5" | 8 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 2.7" | 1.7" | 7 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 4.0" | 2.0" | 10 | 39° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 2.7" | 3.6" | 8 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 45.9" | 11.0" | 108 |
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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Licking’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 Licking’s center.
- Snow: Licking 4n, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Licking 4n, MO, 4 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 Licking’s climate
What is the weather like in Licking?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Licking in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Licking get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Licking 4n, MO, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Licking?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Licking 4n, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Licking?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 181 frost-free days, at Licking 4n, MO.
What growing zone is Licking in?
Zone 6b 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 Licking?
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 Licking getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Licking.
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.