Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY-SA 4.0Clinton sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 57 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 92°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 55°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 86% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October to November, with highs of 67–84°.
A year in Clinton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clinton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clinton’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Clinton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 258 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 6 and the first by November 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jackson Hawkins Fld, MS, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clinton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jackson International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clinton
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
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 Hawkins Fld, MS.
Living with Clinton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
258 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 6 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 4.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clinton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clinton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Clinton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clinton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, MS | 37° | 92° | 57" | 1.0" |
| Greenville, AL | 36° | 91° | 57" | 0.5" |
| Minden, LA | 35° | 93° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Center, TX | 37° | 93° | 54" | 0.6" |
| Magnolia, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 1.7" |
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 Clinton averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Clinton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clinton’s place among Mississippi’s.
Clinton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clinton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 37° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 5.3" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 46° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| April | 76° | 53° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 60° | 38° | 5.5" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| Year | 76° | 54° | 56.9" | 1.0" | 111 | 0 |
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 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Clinton’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 Clinton’s center.
- Snow: Jackson International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jackson Hawkins Fld, MS, 7 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 Clinton’s climate
What is the weather like in Clinton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clinton in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Clinton 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 Clinton?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 83 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Jackson Hawkins Fld, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Clinton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 6 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 258 frost-free days, at Jackson Hawkins Fld, MS.
What growing zone is Clinton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clinton?
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 Clinton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clinton.
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.