Falling Water sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 58 inches a year
January nights here settle around 31°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 73% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 72–83°.
A year in Falling Water at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Falling Water’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Falling Water’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Falling Water feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chattanooga Lovell Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Falling Water’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, 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 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Falling Water
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 Lovell Airport.
Living with Falling Water’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Falling Water from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Falling Water and its neighbors
Mowbray Mountain has the coldest January nights next door (29°, 2° colder) and Chattanooga the hottest July afternoons (90°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Falling Water’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Water, TN | 31° | 89° | 58" | 4.3" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
| Holly Springs, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 2.3" |
| Marion, NC | 28° | 88° | 58" | 7.1" |
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 Falling Water averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Falling Water compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Falling Water’s place among Tennessee’s.
Falling Water weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Falling Water’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 31° | 5.3" | 1.4" | 8 | 32° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 34° | 5.5" | 1.8" | 9 | 34° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 45° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 73° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 66° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 52° | 33° | 5.7" | 0.8" | 8 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 57.6" | 4.3" | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Falling Water’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 Falling Water’s center.
- Snow: Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chattanooga Lovell Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower; 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 Falling Water’s climate
What is the weather like in Falling Water?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Falling Water in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 56 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Falling Water get?
About 4.3 inches in a normal winter at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Falling Water?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Chattanooga Lovell Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Falling Water?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 230 frost-free days, at Chattanooga Lovell Airport.
What growing zone is Falling Water in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Falling Water?
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 Falling Water getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Falling Water.
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.