Photo: Mrgriffter · CC BY-SA 4.0The climate in Johnson City sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 27°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in October. Its January nights stay gentler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 19; in half of years the first frost comes by October 24.
A year in Johnson City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Johnson City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Johnson City’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Johnson City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elizabethton, TN, 7 miles from the city’s center point, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Johnson City’s center in zone 7b: 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bristol Tri City Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Johnson City
81% 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 Elizabethton, TN.
Living with Johnson City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Johnson City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Johnson City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Johnson City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Johnson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | 27° | 87° | 46" | 9.2" |
| Bedford, VA | 27° | 87° | 46" | 12" |
| Berlin, MD | 29° | 87° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Millsboro, DE | 29° | 87° | 46" | 11" |
| Bridgeton, NJ | 25° | 87° | 46" | 12" |
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 Johnson City averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Johnson City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Johnson City’s place among Tennessee’s.
Johnson City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Johnson City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bristol Tri City Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.7" | 3.0" | 13 | 3 | 29° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 3.7" | 3.0" | 13 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 4.0" | 1.1" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| June | 84° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 45° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.9" | 1.7" | 12 | 1 | 29° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 45° | 45.7" | 9.2" | 138 | 7 |
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 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Johnson 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 Johnson City’s center.
- Snow: Bristol Tri City Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elizabethton, TN, 7 miles from the city’s center point, 160 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 Johnson City’s climate
What is the weather like in Johnson City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Johnson City in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 94 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Johnson City get?
About 9.2 inches in a normal winter at Bristol Tri City Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Johnson City?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Elizabethton, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Johnson City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 187 frost-free days, at Elizabethton, TN.
What growing zone is Johnson City in?
Zone 7b 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 Johnson 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 Johnson City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Johnson 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.