More precipitation falls on Zalma than on 82% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Nights in January average 25°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 75% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.5° rise. Garden planting can start around April 7; autumn frost returns near October 27.
A year in Zalma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Zalma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Zalma’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Zalma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Advance 1 S, MO, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Zalma’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and September the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Zalma
75% 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 Advance 1 S, MO.
Living with Zalma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 27.
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 Zalma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Zalma and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Zalma yet.
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 Zalma averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Zalma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Zalma’s place among Missouri’s.
Zalma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Zalma’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.4" | 28° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 29° | 3.4" | 28° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 4.5" | 41° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 5.4" | 51° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 5.6" | 63° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 3.9" | 71° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.3" | 74° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.5" | 72° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 3.3" | 66° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.7" | 54° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 36° | 4.6" | 39° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 3.9" | 25° – 46° |
| Year | 68° | 47° | 49.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Zalma’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 Zalma’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Advance 1 S, MO, 10 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 Zalma’s climate
What is the weather like in Zalma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Zalma in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 97 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How hot does it get in Zalma?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 44 days a year reach 90° (Advance 1 S, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Zalma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 204 frost-free days, at Advance 1 S, MO.
What growing zone is Zalma in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Zalma?
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 Zalma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Zalma.
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.