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Rankin County Confederate MonumentPhoto: Ditch Fisher · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Brandon · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

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

A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns#52Mildest winters  of 102 in MS
Less snow than 79% of U.S. towns#75Least snow  of 100 in MS
All MS rankings →

A year in Brandon at a glance

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

Jan58°36°
Feb62°39°
Mar70°45° Last frost ~Mar 14
Apr76°52° Wettest
May83°60° 5 days 90°+
Jun89°68° 18 days 90°+
Jul92°70° 24 days 90°+
Aug91°69° 23 days 90°+
Sep87°64° 13 days 90°+
Oct78°53° 2 days 90°+
Nov now67°43° First frost ~Nov 14
Dec60°38°

What stands out about Brandon’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brandon’s place in Mississippi beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Brandon feels like

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

Winter
60° / 37°
Snow is rare
Spring
76° / 53°
Last frost around Mar 14
Summer
91° / 69°
85 days reach 90°
Fall
77° / 53°
First frost around Nov 14
Best months to be outsideMarAprMayOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 245 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 14 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jackson International Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

40
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
37th fewest of 101 in Mississippi
Fewer freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
85
days that reach 90°
11th most of 101 in Mississippi
More 90° days than 88% of U.S. towns
3
days that reach 100°
15th most of 101 in Mississippi
More 100° days than 84% of U.S. towns
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Brandon’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

12
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

24
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 1 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Jackson International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 59 inches a year; April is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.

59"
Rain + melted snow a year
38th wettest of 102 in Mississippi
Wetter than 97% of U.S. towns
1.0"
Snow in a normal winter
75th least snowy of 100 in Mississippi
Less snow than 79% of U.S. towns
0 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
62nd fewest of 100 in Mississippi
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 75% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

6.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

1"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Brandon

48% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.

2,222 heating degree daysLess heating than 86% of U.S. towns
2,402 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 88% 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 Jackson International Airport.

Living here

Living with Brandon’s climate

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

The garden window

245 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 14 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 14.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brandon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Brandon and its neighbors

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

Flowood: January low 36°, July high 92°Richland: January low 36°, July high 92°Jackson: January low 36°, July high 92°Pearl: January low 36°, July high 92°Brandon: January low 36°, July high 92°BrandonPearl
ColderMilder36° to 36°
Brandon35.7°
Pearl36.1° about the same

Climates most like Brandon’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
Brandon, MS36°92°59"1.0"
Andalusia, AL37°91°59"0.3"
Ruston, LA35°93°57"0.4"
Warren, AR34°92°56"1.5"
Magalia, CA38°92°61"0.1"

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 Brandon averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).

+0.5°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 98% of U.S. towns.

Winter+0.9°now 49°, was 48°
Spring+0.6°now 64°, was 64°
Summer+0.1°now 80°, was 80°
Fall+0.4°now 65°, was 65°

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 Brandon compares

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

Summer heat92° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns26th hottest of 102 in Mississippi
Winter cold36° January low
Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns52nd mildest of 102 in Mississippi
Precipitation59" a year
Wetter than 97% of U.S. towns38th wettest of 102 in Mississippi
Snow1.0" a winter
Less snow than 79% of U.S. towns75th least snowy of 100 in Mississippi
Hot days85 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 88% of U.S. towns11th most of 101 in Mississippi
Freezing nights40 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns37th fewest of 101 in Mississippi
Growing season245 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 89% of U.S. towns40th longest of 101 in Mississippi
Month by month

Brandon weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brandon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January58°36°5.7"0.2"10041° – 55°
February62°39°5.6"0.2"10041° – 59°
March70°45°5.8"0.1"10052° – 66°
April76°52°6.0"0.0"9059° – 69°
May83°60°4.4"0.0"9069° – 75°
June89°68°4.5"0.0"10075° – 82°
July92°70°4.9"0.0"11078° – 84°
August91°69°4.7"0.0"11076° – 84°
September87°64°3.8"0.0"7073° – 81°
October78°53°3.8"0.0"7061° – 72°
November67°43°4.5"0.0"9050° – 60°
December60°38°5.5"0.5"10039° – 58°
Year76°53°59.2"1.0"1110
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 39° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Brandon’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 Brandon’s center.
  • Snow: Jackson International Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jackson International Airport, 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 Brandon’s climate

What is the weather like in Brandon?

A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Brandon in winter?

January nights average 36°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.

How much snow does Brandon get?

About 1.0 inches in a normal winter at Jackson International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.

How hot does it get in Brandon?

July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 70°. About 85 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Jackson International Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Brandon?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 14 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 245 frost-free days, at Jackson International Airport.

What growing zone is Brandon in?

Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.

What is the best time of year to visit Brandon?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Brandon 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 Brandon.

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.