Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0More precipitation falls on La Follette than on 93% of U.S. towns: 54 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 86°. The wettest month is December; the driest is October. In January, nights here are milder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 22, with the first autumn frost due around October 25.
A year in La Follette at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Follette’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Follette’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in La Follette feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Norris, TN, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Follette’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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norris, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 54 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Follette
82% 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 Norris, TN.
Living with La Follette’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Follette from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Follette and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Follette yet.
Climates most like La Follette’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Follette, TN | 27° | 86° | 54" | 3.1" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Rainsville, AL | 31° | 87° | 57" | 5.0" |
| Charlestown, IN | 24° | 87° | 50" | 4.3" |
| Hopkinsville, KY | 27° | 89° | 52" | 5.2" |
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 La Follette averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 La Follette compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Follette’s place among Tennessee’s.
La Follette weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Follette’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norris, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 4.8" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 5.3" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 30° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 43° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 5.6" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 45° | 54.3" | 3.1" | 134 | 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 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Follette’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 La Follette’s center.
- Snow: Norris, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Norris, TN, 12 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 La Follette’s climate
What is the weather like in La Follette?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Follette in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does La Follette get?
About 3.1 inches in a normal winter at Norris, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Follette?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Norris, TN).
When is the first and last frost in La Follette?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 184 frost-free days, at Norris, TN.
What growing zone is La Follette 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 La Follette?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Follette getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Follette.
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.