Precipitation in Hornsby tops that of 95% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 30°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 60° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Hornsby at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hornsby’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hornsby’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Hornsby feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hornsby’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; March is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hornsby
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 Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN.
Living with Hornsby’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hornsby from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hornsby and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hornsby yet.
Climates most like Hornsby’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornsby, TN | 30° | 90° | 56" | 1.7" |
| Scottsboro, AL | 31° | 90° | 57" | 1.3" |
| Hot Springs Village, AR | 31° | 91° | 55" | 3.2" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
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 Hornsby averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
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 Hornsby compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hornsby’s place among Tennessee’s.
Hornsby weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hornsby’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 30° | 4.5" | 0.5" | 11 | 1 | 32° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 33° | 5.0" | 0.6" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 5.7" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 52° | 33° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 56.4" | 1.7" | 116 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Hornsby’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 Hornsby’s center.
- Snow: Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, 9 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 Hornsby’s climate
What is the weather like in Hornsby?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hornsby in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 75 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Hornsby get?
About 1.7 inches in a normal winter at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hornsby?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 49 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Hornsby?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 210 frost-free days, at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN.
What growing zone is Hornsby in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hornsby?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hornsby 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 Hornsby.
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.