Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Bowman: 58 inches a year
Nights in January average 26°. Temperatures cover 58° across the year, low to high. In January, nights here are milder than in 66% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 19 to October 22.
A year in Bowman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bowman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bowman’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Bowman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crossville Ed & Research, TN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bowman’s center in zone 7a: 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crossville Ed & Research, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 58 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bowman
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Crossville Ed & Research, TN.
Living with Bowman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bowman from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bowman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bowman yet.
Climates most like Bowman’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman, TN | 26° | 84° | 58" | 14" |
| Hendersonville, NC | 29° | 84° | 63" | 6.7" |
| La Grange, KY | 24° | 87° | 52" | 12" |
| Schuylkill Haven, PA | 20° | 84° | 51" | 21" |
| Martinsville, NJ | 22° | 86° | 50" | 21" |
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 Bowman averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Bowman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bowman’s place among Tennessee’s.
Bowman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bowman’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crossville Ed & Research, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 5.0" | 3.5" | 15 | 5 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 29° | 5.3" | 4.4" | 13 | 4 | 28° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 5.5" | 2.7" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 5.2" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 57° | 35° | 4.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 6.0" | 3.1" | 14 | 3 | 28° – 50° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 58.1" | 14.1" | 151 | 14 |
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 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bowman’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 Bowman’s center.
- Snow: Crossville Ed & Research, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crossville Ed & Research, TN, 6 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 Bowman’s climate
What is the weather like in Bowman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bowman in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 96 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Bowman get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Crossville Ed & Research, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bowman?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Crossville Ed & Research, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Bowman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 185 frost-free days, at Crossville Ed & Research, TN.
What growing zone is Bowman in?
Zone 7a 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 Bowman?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bowman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bowman.
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.