Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Jefferson City than on 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 87°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 59°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, April, May, September and October offer highs of 70–82°.
A year in Jefferson City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jefferson City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jefferson City’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Jefferson City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 4. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jefferson City, TN, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Morristown Wfo, TN, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jefferson City’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Morristown Wfo, TN, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jefferson City
74% 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 Morristown Wfo, TN.
Living with Jefferson City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jefferson City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jefferson City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Jefferson City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Jefferson City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City, TN | 28° | 87° | 49" | 10" |
| Millsboro, DE | 29° | 87° | 46" | 11" |
| Martinsville, VA | 27° | 88° | 47" | 9.4" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Tell City, IN | 26° | 87° | 50" | 11" |
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 Jefferson City averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Jefferson City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jefferson City’s place among Tennessee’s.
Jefferson City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jefferson City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Morristown Wfo, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 28° | 4.3" | 3.5" | 13 | 3 | 29° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 31° | 4.5" | 3.3" | 13 | 1 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 4.8" | 1.2" | 13 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 60° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 4.7" | 1.9" | 12 | 1 | 30° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 49.1" | 10.2" | 136 | 5 |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Jefferson City’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 Jefferson City’s center.
- Snow: Morristown Wfo, TN.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Morristown Wfo, TN, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Jefferson City, TN, 0.3 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 Jefferson City’s climate
What is the weather like in Jefferson City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jefferson City in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Jefferson City get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Morristown Wfo, TN, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jefferson City?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Morristown Wfo, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Jefferson City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 217 frost-free days, at Morristown Wfo, TN.
What growing zone is Jefferson City in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jefferson City?
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 Jefferson City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jefferson City.
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.