Photo: Garryharvey · Public domainWet weather: 56 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Jackson, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 29°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 77% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season, with highs of 72–84°, runs through April, May, September and October.
A year in Jackson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jackson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jackson’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Jackson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 207 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jackson Exp Stn, TN, 2.6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jackson’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jackson Exp Stn, TN, falls mostly in January. 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 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jackson
67% 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 Jackson Exp Stn, TN.
Living with Jackson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
207 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jackson from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jackson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jackson yet.
Climates most like Jackson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | 29° | 90° | 56" | 2.7" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
| Scottsboro, AL | 31° | 90° | 57" | 1.3" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
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 Jackson averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Jackson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jackson’s place among Tennessee’s.
Jackson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jackson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson Exp Stn, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 29° | 4.2" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 4.9" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 52° |
| March | 62° | 40° | 5.6" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 51° | 32° | 5.3" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 30° – 51° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 55.5" | 2.7" | 122 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Jackson’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 Jackson’s center.
- Snow: Jackson Exp Stn, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jackson Exp Stn, TN, 2.6 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Jackson’s climate
What is the weather like in Jackson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jackson in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Jackson get?
About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Jackson Exp Stn, TN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jackson?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Jackson Exp Stn, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Jackson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 207 frost-free days, at Jackson Exp Stn, TN.
What growing zone is Jackson in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jackson?
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 Jackson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jackson.
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.