Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Adams gets more rain and snow than 90% of U.S. towns: 53 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 28°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Adams at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Adams’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Adams’ place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Adams feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Springfield Exp Stn, TN, 15 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Adams’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 130 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Clarksville Wwtp, TN, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Adams
72% 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 Springfield Exp Stn, TN.
Living with Adams’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Adams from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Adams and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Adams yet.
Climates most like Adams’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams, TN | 28° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Walnut Ridge, AR | 28° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
| Cedartown, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.4" |
| Williamston, NC | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Valley Falls, SC | 31° | 90° | 50" | 0.8" |
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 Adams averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Adams compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Adams’ place among Tennessee’s.
Adams weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Adams’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clarksville Wwtp, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 28° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 31° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 30° – 48° |
| March | 60° | 38° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 37° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 28° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 48° | 52.5" | 0.5" | 130 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Adams’ 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 Adams’ center.
- Snow: Clarksville Wwtp, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Springfield Exp Stn, TN, 15 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Adams’ climate
What is the weather like in Adams?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 28°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Adams in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Adams get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Clarksville Wwtp, TN, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Adams?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Springfield Exp Stn, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Adams?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 201 frost-free days, at Springfield Exp Stn, TN.
What growing zone is Adams in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Adams?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Adams getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Adams.
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.