Joplin has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 77°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 21 to September 19.
A year in Joplin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Joplin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Joplin’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Joplin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Joplin, MT, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Joplin’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Joplin, MT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Joplin
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Joplin, MT.
Living with Joplin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Joplin from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Joplin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Joplin yet.
Climates most like Joplin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin, MT | 6° | 83° | 11" | 35" |
| Alamosa, CO | 3° | 82° | 8" | 30" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Joplin averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Joplin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Joplin’s place among Montana’s.
Joplin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Joplin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Joplin, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 6° | 0.4" | 8.0" | 5 | 16 | 5° – 31° |
| February | 33° | 9° | 0.3" | 5.4" | 4 | 12 | −7° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 18° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 5 | 9 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 55° | 28° | 0.9" | 3.0" | 5 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 83° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 50° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 29° | 0.7" | 2.4" | 5 | 1 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 40° | 18° | 0.5" | 5.3" | 4 | 6 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 9° | 0.4" | 6.2" | 4 | 13 | 8° – 31° |
| Year | 55° | 29° | 11.2" | 35.3" | 66 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Joplin’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 Joplin’s center.
- Snow: Joplin, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Joplin, MT, 0.1 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 Joplin’s climate
What is the weather like in Joplin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Joplin in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Joplin get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Joplin, MT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in Joplin?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Joplin, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Joplin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 119 frost-free days, at Joplin, MT.
What growing zone is Joplin in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Joplin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Joplin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Joplin.
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.