Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Cleveland tops that of 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 89°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Radiators earn their keep from November to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Cleveland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cleveland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cleveland’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Cleveland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cleveland’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cleveland
69% 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 Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN.
Living with Cleveland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cleveland from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cleveland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cleveland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cleveland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, TN | 30° | 89° | 56" | 1.1" |
| Russellville, AL | 31° | 90° | 58" | 0.6" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
| Fort Campbell North, KY | 28° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
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 Cleveland averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Cleveland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cleveland’s place among Tennessee’s.
Cleveland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cleveland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 30° | 5.0" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 31° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 33° | 5.1" | 0.6" | 13 | 0 | 33° – 52° |
| March | 62° | 39° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 33° | 5.5" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 55.7" | 1.1" | 140 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cleveland’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 Cleveland’s center.
- Snow: Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Cleveland’s climate
What is the weather like in Cleveland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cleveland in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Cleveland get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cleveland?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 36 days a year reach 90° (Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Cleveland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 206 frost-free days, at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN.
What growing zone is Cleveland in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cleveland?
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 Cleveland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cleveland.
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.