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Given Owens HouseGiven Owens House · Photo: Colinhester · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Union Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Union Township’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns#5Least snow  of 234 in MO
Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns#7Mildest winters  of 236 in MO
All MO rankings →

A year in Union Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan45°28°
Feb50°32°
Mar60°39° Last frost ~Mar 29
Apr71°48°
May80°58° 3 days 90°+Wettest
Jun88°67° 14 days 90°+
Jul90°70° 19 days 90°+
Aug89°68° 16 days 90°+
Sep83°60° 8 days 90°+
Oct72°49° 1 day 90°+
Nov now58°39° First frost ~Nov 3
Dec48°31°

What stands out about Union Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Union Township’s place in Missouri beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Union Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
48° / 30°
1 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
70° / 49°
Last frost around Mar 29
Summer
89° / 68°
59 days reach 90°
Fall
71° / 49°
First frost around Nov 3
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 221 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Malden Muni Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

77
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6th fewest of 236 in Missouri
Fewer freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
The fewest of 236 in Missouri
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 64% of U.S. towns
59
days that reach 90°
3rd most of 236 in Missouri
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 100°
88th most of 236 in Missouri
More 100° days than 82% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Union Township’s center in zone 7b: 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°

22
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

19
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 3 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Saint Francis, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
10th wettest of 236 in Missouri
Wetter than 82% of U.S. towns
3.0"
Snow in a normal winter
5th least snowy of 234 in Missouri
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns
3 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
21st fewest of 167 in Missouri
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 67% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

1"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Union Township

66% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

3,761 heating degree daysLess heating than 72% of U.S. towns
1,942 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 83% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Malden Muni Airport.

Living here

Living with Union Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

221 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 46 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Union Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Union Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Union Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Malden: January low 28°, July high 90°Independence Township: January low 29°, July high 90°Castor Township: January low 27°, July high 89°Elk Township: January low 28°, July high 90°Duck Creek Township: January low 26°, July high 90°Richland Township: January low 27°, July high 90°Clarkton: January low 29°, July high 90°Cotton Hill Township: January low 28°, July high 90°Holcomb Township: January low 29°, July high 90°St. Francis: January low 28°, July high 90°Liberty Township: January low 27°, July high 90°Freeborn Township: January low 29°, July high 90°Union Township: January low 28°, July high 90°Union TownshipCotton Hill TownshipHolcomb TownshipSt. FrancisLiberty TownshipFreeborn Township
ColderMilder26° to 29°
Liberty Township27.3° about the same
Union Township28.0°
Cotton Hill Township28.1° about the same
St. Francis28.3° about the same
Holcomb Township28.5° about the same
Freeborn Township28.5° about the same

Climates most like Union Township’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Union Township, MO28°90°49"3.0"
Franklin, VA29°90°49"4.1"
Forest City, NC29°90°49"4.5"
Nashville, TN29°90°52"4.7"
Gaffney, SC30°90°47"1.9"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Union Township averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).

+0.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 95% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.3°now 39°, was 38°
Spring+0.6°now 59°, was 59°
Summer+0.3°now 79°, was 78°
Fall+0.3°now 60°, was 60°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Union Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Union Township’s place among Missouri’s.

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns6th hottest of 236 in Missouri
Winter cold28° January low
Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns7th mildest of 236 in Missouri
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 82% of U.S. towns10th wettest of 236 in Missouri
Snow3.0" a winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns5th least snowy of 234 in Missouri
Hot days59 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns3rd most of 236 in Missouri
Freezing nights77 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns6th fewest of 236 in Missouri
Growing season221 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 80% of U.S. towns6th longest of 236 in Missouri
Month by month

Union Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Union Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saint Francis, AR. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January45°28°3.5"1.2"9130° – 45°
February50°32°3.7"0.5"9130° – 49°
March60°39°4.7"0.9"10043° – 61°
April71°48°5.1"0.0"10052° – 65°
May80°58°5.3"0.0"11065° – 76°
June88°67°3.7"0.0"8072° – 83°
July90°70°4.0"0.0"8076° – 84°
August89°68°3.2"0.0"7073° – 84°
September83°60°3.3"0.0"6068° – 78°
October72°49°3.8"0.1"8056° – 66°
November58°39°4.6"0.1"9041° – 54°
December48°31°4.5"0.2"9028° – 47°
Year69°49°49.4"3.0"1033
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Union Township’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 Union Township’s center.
  • Snow: Saint Francis, AR.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Malden Muni Airport, 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 Union Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Union Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Union Township in winter?

January nights average 28°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.

How much snow does Union Township get?

About 3.0 inches in a normal winter at Saint Francis, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.

How hot does it get in Union Township?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 70°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Malden Muni Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Union Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 221 frost-free days, at Malden Muni Airport.

What growing zone is Union Township in?

Zone 7b 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 Union Township?

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 Union Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Union Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.