Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Horn Lake tops that of 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 91°. Temperatures cover 59° across the year, low to high. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 82% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Horn Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horn Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horn Lake’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Horn Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Memphis International Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horn Lake’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 Pleasant Hill, MS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Horn Lake
55% 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 Memphis International Airport.
Living with Horn Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 16 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horn Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horn Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Horn Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Horn Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horn Lake, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Helena, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 1.2" |
| Hot Springs Village, AR | 31° | 91° | 55" | 3.2" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
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 Horn Lake averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Horn Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horn Lake’s place among Mississippi’s.
Horn Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horn Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pleasant Hill, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 32° | 4.2" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 48° |
| February | 55° | 36° | 4.7" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| March | 63° | 43° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| May | 81° | 61° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 62° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 53° | 35° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 52° | 55.5" | 1.4" | 100 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Horn Lake’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 Horn Lake’s center.
- Snow: Pleasant Hill, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Memphis International 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 Horn Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Horn Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horn Lake in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 44 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Horn Lake get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Pleasant Hill, MS, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Horn Lake?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 72 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Memphis International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Horn Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 244 frost-free days, at Memphis International Airport.
What growing zone is Horn Lake in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Horn Lake?
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 Horn Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Horn Lake.
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.