Photo: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Water Valley: 57 inches a year
January nights here settle around 32°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 83% of U.S. towns. Next to 1901–2000, the year’s average is all but unchanged. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Water Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Water Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Water Valley’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Water Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 219 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Water Valley, MS, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Water Valley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 Water Valley, MS, falls mostly in January. 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 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Water Valley
62% 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 Water Valley, MS.
Living with Water Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
219 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 Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Water Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Water Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Water Valley yet.
Climates most like Water Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Valley, MS | 32° | 91° | 57" | 1.2" |
| Fultondale, AL | 33° | 91° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Benton, AR | 32° | 92° | 55" | 1.3" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Grambling, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.4" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Water Valley averaged 0.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+0.9°).
A smaller shift than in all but 20 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 Water Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Water Valley’s place among Mississippi’s.
Water Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Water Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Water Valley, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 5.0" | 0.8" | 9 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| February | 57° | 36° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 8 | 1 | 38° – 55° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 59° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| October | 76° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 5.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 57.1" | 1.2" | 96 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 54°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Water Valley’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 Water Valley’s center.
- Snow: Water Valley, MS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Water Valley, MS, 0.2 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 Water Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Water Valley?
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 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Water Valley in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 76 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Water Valley get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Water Valley, MS, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Water Valley?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Water Valley, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Water Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 219 frost-free days, at Water Valley, MS.
What growing zone is Water Valley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Water Valley?
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 Water Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 20 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Water Valley.
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.