Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Smithville is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 58 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 91°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 59°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 82% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Smithville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smithville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smithville’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Smithville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 212 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fulton 3 W, MS, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smithville’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 58 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 117 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Amory L&d A, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Smithville
66% 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 Fulton 3 W, MS.
Living with Smithville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
212 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 27% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smithville from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smithville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smithville yet.
Climates most like Smithville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithville, MS | 32° | 91° | 58" | 0.0" |
| Wrightsboro, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
| Opelika, AL | 34° | 90° | 55" | 0.0" |
| Bastrop, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.0" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
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 Smithville averaged 0.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 95 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 Smithville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smithville’s place among Mississippi’s.
Smithville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smithville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Amory L&d A, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 57° | 36° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 59° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 36° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 57.7" | 0.0" | 117 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Smithville’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 Smithville’s center.
- Snow: Amory L&d A, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fulton 3 W, MS, 14 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 Smithville’s climate
What is the weather like in Smithville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smithville in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 67 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Smithville get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Amory L&d A, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Smithville?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Fulton 3 W, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Smithville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 212 frost-free days, at Fulton 3 W, MS.
What growing zone is Smithville 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 Smithville?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Smithville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 95 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smithville.
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.