Photo: Dudemanfellabra · CC BY-SA 3.0Meridian’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Meridian at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Meridian’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Meridian’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Meridian feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Meridian Key Fld, MS, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Meridian’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 57 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 97 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Collinsville 7 Se, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Meridian
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Meridian Key Fld, MS.
Living with Meridian’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 8.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 33% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Meridian from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Meridian and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Meridian yet.
Climates most like Meridian’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian, MS | 35° | 91° | 57" | 0.5" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Auburn, AL | 34° | 91° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Grambling, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.4" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
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 Meridian averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Meridian compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Meridian’s place among Mississippi’s.
Meridian weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Meridian’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Collinsville 7 Se, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 35° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| February | 62° | 38° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 44° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 64° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 5.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| Year | 76° | 52° | 56.5" | 0.5" | 97 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Meridian’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 Meridian’s center.
- Snow: Collinsville 7 Se, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Meridian Key Fld, MS, 5 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 Meridian’s climate
What is the weather like in Meridian?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Meridian in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 48 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Meridian get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Collinsville 7 Se, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Meridian?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 86 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Meridian Key Fld, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Meridian?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 239 frost-free days, at Meridian Key Fld, MS.
What growing zone is Meridian 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 Meridian?
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 Meridian getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Meridian.
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.