Photo: Jphill19 · CC BY-SA 4.0Chattanooga reaches 100° on about 32 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 29°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 68°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 85% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Chattanooga at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chattanooga’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chattanooga’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Chattanooga feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chattanooga, OK, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chattanooga’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 30 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 59 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Chattanooga, OK, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chattanooga
61% 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 Chattanooga, OK.
Living with Chattanooga’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chattanooga from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chattanooga and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chattanooga yet.
Climates most like Chattanooga’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, OK | 29° | 97° | 30" | 0.8" |
| Brownwood, TX | 33° | 96° | 29" | 1.3" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
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 Chattanooga averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Chattanooga compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chattanooga’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Chattanooga weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chattanooga’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chattanooga, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 29° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 33° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| March | 66° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| June | 92° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 88° |
| July | 97° | 72° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 92° |
| August | 96° | 71° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 93° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 31° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| Year | 75° | 51° | 30.3" | 0.8" | 59 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. August swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 77° to 93°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Chattanooga’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 Chattanooga’s center.
- Snow: Chattanooga, OK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chattanooga, OK, 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 Chattanooga’s climate
What is the weather like in Chattanooga?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 29°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chattanooga in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Chattanooga get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Chattanooga, OK, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Chattanooga?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 72°. About 101 days a year reach 90° and 32 reach 100° (Chattanooga, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Chattanooga?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 205 frost-free days, at Chattanooga, OK.
What growing zone is Chattanooga in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chattanooga?
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 Chattanooga getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chattanooga.
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.