Lewis and Elizabeth Bolton House · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers, winters and rain in Wardsville all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 89°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 70% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.8°, most of all in December. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Wardsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wardsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wardsville’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Wardsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jefferson City Wtp, MO, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wardsville’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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jefferson City Wtp, MO, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wardsville
78% 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 Jefferson City Wtp, MO.
Living with Wardsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wardsville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wardsville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wardsville yet.
Climates most like Wardsville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wardsville, MO | 23° | 89° | 43" | 8.9" |
| Pinckneyville, IL | 24° | 88° | 45" | 8.6" |
| Lake of the Woods, VA | 25° | 88° | 44" | 11" |
| Iola, KS | 22° | 90° | 42" | 7.4" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
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 Wardsville averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Wardsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wardsville’s place among Missouri’s.
Wardsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wardsville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jefferson City Wtp, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 2.2" | 2.9" | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 2.1" | 2.9" | 8 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 11 | 39° – 60° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 39° – 54° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 2.3" | 2.5" | 8 | 22° – 44° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 42.9" | 8.9" | 110 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wardsville’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 Wardsville’s center.
- Snow: Jefferson City Wtp, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jefferson City Wtp, MO, 6 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 Wardsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Wardsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wardsville in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Wardsville get?
About 8.9 inches in a normal winter at Jefferson City Wtp, MO, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Wardsville?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Jefferson City Wtp, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Wardsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 205 frost-free days, at Jefferson City Wtp, MO.
What growing zone is Wardsville 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 Wardsville?
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 Wardsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wardsville.
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.