In Hannibal, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 22°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Garden planting can start around April 26; autumn frost returns near October 26.
A year in Hannibal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hannibal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hannibal’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Hannibal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hannibal’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Middlebourne 3 Ese, WV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 146 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hannibal
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH.
Living with Hannibal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hannibal from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hannibal and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hannibal in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hannibal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hannibal, OH | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Linglestown, PA | 22° | 85° | 46" | 24" |
| Westminster, MD | 22° | 86° | 45" | 28" |
| Hebron, KY | 23° | 85° | 46" | 23" |
| Cumberland, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 27" |
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 Hannibal averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Hannibal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hannibal’s place among Ohio’s.
Hannibal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hannibal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Middlebourne 3 Ese, WV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.8" | 11.0" | 15 | 11 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 3.0" | 7.7" | 13 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 31° | 4.0" | 4.1" | 13 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 50° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.7" | 3.9" | 14 | 5 | 25° – 46° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 45.8" | 27.3" | 146 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hannibal’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 Hannibal’s center.
- Snow: Middlebourne 3 Ese, WV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Hannibal’s climate
What is the weather like in Hannibal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hannibal in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Hannibal get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Middlebourne 3 Ese, WV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hannibal?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Hannibal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 182 frost-free days, at Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH.
What growing zone is Hannibal in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hannibal?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hannibal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hannibal.
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.