More precipitation falls on Darden than on 94% of U.S. towns: 55 inches a year
January nights here settle around 29°. Temperatures cover 61° across the year, low to high. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 77% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 73–84°, runs through April, May, September and October.
A year in Darden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Darden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Darden’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Darden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parsons Wtp, TN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Darden’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Parsons Wtp, TN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Darden
66% 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 Parsons Wtp, TN.
Living with Darden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 29.
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 Darden from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Darden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Darden yet.
Climates most like Darden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darden, TN | 29° | 90° | 55" | 1.6" |
| Hot Springs Village, AR | 31° | 91° | 55" | 3.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Oxford, AL | 33° | 90° | 54" | 1.2" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
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 Darden averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Darden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Darden’s place among Tennessee’s.
Darden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Darden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Parsons Wtp, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 29° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 31° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 32° | 4.9" | 0.4" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 5.7" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 37° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 52° | 32° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 31° – 52° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 55.3" | 1.6" | 119 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Darden’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 Darden’s center.
- Snow: Parsons Wtp, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parsons Wtp, 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 Darden’s climate
What is the weather like in Darden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Darden in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 86 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Darden get?
About 1.6 inches in a normal winter at Parsons Wtp, TN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Darden?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Parsons Wtp, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Darden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 208 frost-free days, at Parsons Wtp, TN.
What growing zone is Darden in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Darden?
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 Darden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Darden.
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.