Summers, winters and rain in Prairie Hill all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 87°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 66% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.7° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside from April to June and September to October, when highs sit at 65–84°.
A year in Prairie Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prairie Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prairie Hill’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Prairie Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Salisbury, MO, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prairie Hill’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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moberly, 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 Prairie Hill
80% 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 Salisbury, MO.
Living with Prairie Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
190 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prairie Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prairie Hill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Prairie Hill yet.
Climates most like Prairie Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Hill, MO | 19° | 87° | 41" | 15" |
| Carlinville, IL | 21° | 87° | 40" | 17" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Hamilton, OH | 22° | 87° | 43" | 9.7" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
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 Prairie Hill averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Prairie Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prairie Hill’s place among Missouri’s.
Prairie Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prairie Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moberly, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 19° | 1.5" | 5.6" | 6 | 4 | 21° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 1.9" | 3.2" | 7 | 4 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 2.8" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 35° – 57° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 2.5" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 1.8" | 4.0" | 7 | 2 | 18° – 41° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 40.6" | 15.1" | 101 | 11 |
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 9°.
Where Prairie Hill’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 Prairie Hill’s center.
- Snow: Moberly, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salisbury, MO, 8 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 Prairie Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Prairie Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prairie Hill in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 116 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 21°.
How much snow does Prairie Hill get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Moberly, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Prairie Hill?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Salisbury, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Prairie Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 190 frost-free days, at Salisbury, MO.
What growing zone is Prairie Hill 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 Prairie Hill?
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 Prairie Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prairie Hill.
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.