Summers, winters and rain in Polo all run close to those of most U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 19°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 67% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 23, with the first autumn frost due around October 17.
A year in Polo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Polo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Polo’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Polo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hamilton 2w, MO, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Polo’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Polo, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Polo
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 Hamilton 2w, MO.
Living with Polo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Polo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Polo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Polo yet.
Climates most like Polo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polo, MO | 19° | 87° | 40" | 14" |
| Jacksonville, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 16" |
| Fort Madison, IA | 17° | 86° | 39" | 18" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| 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 Polo averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Polo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Polo’s place among Missouri’s.
Polo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Polo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Polo, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 1.2" | 4.5" | 5 | 4 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 1.6" | 4.0" | 6 | 5 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 2.6" | 1.5" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.1" | 0.7" | 6 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 41° | 23° | 1.8" | 2.8" | 6 | 4 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 39.7" | 14.1" | 92 | 14 |
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 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Polo’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 Polo’s center.
- Snow: Polo, MO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hamilton 2w, 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 Polo’s climate
What is the weather like in Polo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Polo in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Polo get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Polo, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Polo?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hamilton 2w, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Polo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 175 frost-free days, at Hamilton 2w, MO.
What growing zone is Polo in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Polo?
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 Polo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Polo.
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.