Roberts, J.F., Octagonal Barn · Photo: Rcool1234 · CC BY-SA 3.0Rea has colder winter nights than 76% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 70°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 69% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from April to June and September to October, when highs sit at 64–83°.
A year in Rea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rea’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Rea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Conception, MO, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rea’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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Conception, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rea
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Conception, MO.
Living with Rea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 20.
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 Rea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rea and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rea yet.
Climates most like Rea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rea, MO | 17° | 87° | 38" | 19" |
| Fort Madison, IA | 17° | 86° | 39" | 18" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Lock Haven, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
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 Rea averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Rea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rea’s place among Missouri’s.
Rea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rea’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Conception, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 0.9" | 5.8" | 4 | 11 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 1.3" | 5.1" | 4 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 2.2" | 2.1" | 6 | 2 | 35° – 57° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 31° | 1.9" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 33° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 1.4" | 3.8" | 4 | 7 | 16° – 37° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 37.7" | 19.4" | 76 | 30 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rea’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 Rea’s center.
- Snow: Conception, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Conception, 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 Rea’s climate
What is the weather like in Rea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rea in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 128 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 19°.
How much snow does Rea get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Conception, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rea?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Conception, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Rea?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 184 frost-free days, at Conception, MO.
What growing zone is Rea 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 Rea?
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 Rea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rea.
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.