Settlement School Dormitories and Dwellings Historic District · Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 3.0Gatlinburg gets more rain and snow than 94% of U.S. towns: 55 inches of precipitation a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 28°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 58°. In January, nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from April to June and September to October, with highs of 71–84°.
A year in Gatlinburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gatlinburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gatlinburg’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Gatlinburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN, 4 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gatlinburg’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN, is heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gatlinburg
84% 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 Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN.
Living with Gatlinburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 5.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gatlinburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gatlinburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gatlinburg yet.
Climates most like Gatlinburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatlinburg, TN | 28° | 86° | 55" | 7.7" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Rainsville, AL | 31° | 87° | 57" | 5.0" |
| Murray, KY | 27° | 89° | 54" | 6.5" |
| Tell City, IN | 26° | 87° | 50" | 11" |
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 Gatlinburg averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
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 Gatlinburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gatlinburg’s place among Tennessee’s.
Gatlinburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gatlinburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 28° | 4.9" | 2.4" | 15 | 3 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 4.5" | 2.4" | 15 | 2 | 32° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 5.1" | 1.3" | 15 | 1 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 78° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| November | 60° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 51° | 31° | 5.0" | 1.4" | 15 | 1 | 31° – 52° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 55.0" | 7.7" | 164 | 7 |
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 7°.
Where Gatlinburg’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 Gatlinburg’s center.
- Snow: Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN, 4 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Gatlinburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Gatlinburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gatlinburg in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Gatlinburg get?
About 7.7 inches in a normal winter at Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN, heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gatlinburg?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Gatlinburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 189 frost-free days, at Gatlinburg 2 Sw, TN.
What growing zone is Gatlinburg in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gatlinburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gatlinburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° 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 Gatlinburg.
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.