Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Sullivan sits near the middle of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 21°. Seasons differ by 67°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its July heat outdoes that of 68% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 27; autumn frost returns near October 13.
A year in Sullivan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sullivan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sullivan’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Sullivan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rosebud, MO, 20 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sullivan’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sullivan, MO, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February 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 Sullivan
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rosebud, MO.
Living with Sullivan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sullivan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sullivan and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sullivan in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sullivan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan, MO | 21° | 88° | 44" | 8.1" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
| Vincennes, IN | 23° | 88° | 47" | 8.5" |
| Hamilton, OH | 22° | 87° | 43" | 9.7" |
| Robinson, IL | 22° | 87° | 45" | 12" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Sullivan averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Sullivan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sullivan’s place among Missouri’s.
Sullivan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sullivan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sullivan, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 21° | 2.6" | 2.2" | 6 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 25° | 2.4" | 2.1" | 7 | 26° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 3.7" | 1.3" | 9 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 7 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 25° | 2.6" | 2.2" | 7 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 66° | 43° | 44.0" | 8.1" | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Sullivan’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 Sullivan’s center.
- Snow: Sullivan, MO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rosebud, MO, 20 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower; 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 Sullivan’s climate
What is the weather like in Sullivan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sullivan in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 124 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 26°.
How much snow does Sullivan get?
About 8.1 inches in a normal winter at Sullivan, MO, most of it in January, February and December.
How hot does it get in Sullivan?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 65°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rosebud, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Sullivan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 168 frost-free days, at Rosebud, MO.
What growing zone is Sullivan in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sullivan?
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 Sullivan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sullivan.
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.