Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Perry sits near the middle of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 19°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in May and the lightest in January. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 63% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 11, with the first autumn frost due around October 23.
A year in Perry at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Perry’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Perry’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Perry feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vandalia, MO, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Perry’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 40 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Perry
83% 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 Vandalia, MO.
Living with Perry’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Perry from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Perry and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Perry yet.
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 Perry averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
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 Perry compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Perry’s place among Missouri’s.
Perry weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Perry’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 1.9" | 22° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.0" | 20° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 2.9" | 35° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.2" | 46° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.0" | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.6" | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.5" | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.6" | 69° – 81° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 61° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.1" | 49° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 2.7" | 35° – 51° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 2.0" | 18° – 41° |
| Year | 63° | 44° | 40.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Perry’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 Perry’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vandalia, MO, 13 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 Perry’s climate
What is the weather like in Perry?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Perry in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How hot does it get in Perry?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Vandalia, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Perry?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 192 frost-free days, at Vandalia, MO.
What growing zone is Perry 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 Perry?
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 Perry 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 Perry.
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.