West Hattiesburg is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 62 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 38°. A year here swings 54° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its January nights stay gentler than in 85% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from February to April and October to November, when afternoons reach 64–79°.
A year in West Hattiesburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Hattiesburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Hattiesburg’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in West Hattiesburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 261 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 7 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hattiesburg 5sw, MS, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Hattiesburg’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 62 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 116 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Hattiesburg 5sw, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in West Hattiesburg
44% 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 Hattiesburg 5sw, MS.
Living with West Hattiesburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
261 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 7 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Hattiesburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Hattiesburg and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Hattiesburg in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Hattiesburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hattiesburg, MS | 38° | 92° | 62" | 0.9" |
| Opp, AL | 37° | 91° | 59" | 0.3" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Pineville, LA | 39° | 92° | 59" | 0.4" |
| Lumberton, TX | 41° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
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 West Hattiesburg averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 West Hattiesburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Hattiesburg’s place among Mississippi’s.
West Hattiesburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Hattiesburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hattiesburg 5sw, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 38° | 6.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 41° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 62° |
| March | 71° | 47° | 5.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| April | 78° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| May | 85° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 69° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 5.6" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| Year | 77° | 54° | 61.5" | 0.9" | 116 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where West Hattiesburg’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 West Hattiesburg’s center.
- Snow: Hattiesburg 5sw, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hattiesburg 5sw, MS, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 West Hattiesburg’s climate
What is the weather like in West Hattiesburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Hattiesburg in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does West Hattiesburg get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Hattiesburg 5sw, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in West Hattiesburg?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 85 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hattiesburg 5sw, MS).
When is the first and last frost in West Hattiesburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 7 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 261 frost-free days, at Hattiesburg 5sw, MS.
What growing zone is West Hattiesburg 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 West Hattiesburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Hattiesburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Hattiesburg.
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.