Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Ridgely sits near the middle of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 19°. A year here swings 69° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its July heat outdoes that of 67% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 65–79°.
A year in Ridgely at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ridgely’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ridgely’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Ridgely feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Smithville Lake, MO, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ridgely’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kansas City International Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ridgely
82% 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 Smithville Lake, MO.
Living with Ridgely’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ridgely from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ridgely and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ridgely yet.
Climates most like Ridgely’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgely, MO | 19° | 88° | 39" | 18" |
| Quincy, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 17" |
| Keokuk, IA | 18° | 86° | 40" | 23" |
| Martinsburg, WV | 23° | 87° | 40" | 23" |
| 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 Ridgely averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Ridgely compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ridgely’s place among Missouri’s.
Ridgely weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ridgely’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kansas City International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 19° | 1.1" | 4.9" | 7 | 8 | 23° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 23° | 1.3" | 5.9" | 7 | 5 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 55° | 33° | 2.2" | 1.7" | 10 | 2 | 37° – 58° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.1" | 7 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 42° | 24° | 1.6" | 4.0" | 7 | 5 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 38.8" | 18.2" | 104 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ridgely’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 Ridgely’s center.
- Snow: Kansas City International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Smithville Lake, MO, 7 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 Ridgely’s climate
What is the weather like in Ridgely?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ridgely in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Ridgely get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Kansas City International Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ridgely?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Smithville Lake, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Ridgely?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 183 frost-free days, at Smithville Lake, MO.
What growing zone is Ridgely in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ridgely?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ridgely getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ridgely.
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.