Standing Stone Rustic Park Historic District · Photo: Ichabod at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Hilham tops that of 94% of U.S. towns: 55 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in December and the lightest in October. In January, nights here are milder than in 69% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Hilham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hilham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hilham’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Hilham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hilham’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 Livingston Radio Wliv, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hilham
76% 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 Livingston Radio Wliv, TN.
Living with Hilham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
195 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hilham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hilham and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hilham yet.
Climates most like Hilham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilham, TN | 28° | 87° | 55" | 2.3" |
| Mayfield, KY | 27° | 89° | 52" | 1.4" |
| Milton, GA | 32° | 88° | 54" | 1.3" |
| Lenoir, NC | 28° | 88° | 50" | 4.1" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
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 Hilham averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
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 Hilham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hilham’s place among Tennessee’s.
Hilham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hilham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Livingston Radio Wliv, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 28° | 4.9" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 29° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 31° | 4.9" | 1.5" | 7 | 0 | 29° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 5.5" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 29° – 52° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 55.0" | 2.3" | 100 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hilham’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 Hilham’s center.
- Snow: Livingston Radio Wliv, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Livingston Radio Wliv, 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 Hilham’s climate
What is the weather like in Hilham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hilham in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 90 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Hilham get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hilham?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Livingston Radio Wliv, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Hilham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 195 frost-free days, at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN.
What growing zone is Hilham in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hilham?
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 Hilham 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 Hilham.
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.