Greenberry Wilson House · Photo: PlateauFotog · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Lake Tansi: 60 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 27°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in August. Its January nights stay gentler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 16; autumn frost returns near October 23.
A year in Lake Tansi at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Tansi’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Tansi’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Lake Tansi feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crossville Mem Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Tansi’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crossville Ed & Research, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 60 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Tansi
83% 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 Crossville Mem Airport.
Living with Lake Tansi’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Tansi from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Tansi and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Tansi yet.
Climates most like Lake Tansi’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Tansi, TN | 27° | 84° | 60" | 14" |
| Hendersonville, NC | 29° | 84° | 63" | 6.7" |
| La Grange, KY | 24° | 87° | 52" | 12" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
| Schuylkill Haven, PA | 20° | 84° | 51" | 21" |
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 Lake Tansi averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Lake Tansi compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Tansi’s place among Tennessee’s.
Lake Tansi weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Tansi’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crossville Ed & Research, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 27° | 5.1" | 3.5" | 15 | 5 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 30° | 5.5" | 4.4" | 13 | 4 | 29° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 37° | 5.5" | 2.7" | 14 | 1 | 40° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 5.4" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 57° | 36° | 5.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 6.3" | 3.1" | 14 | 3 | 29° – 50° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 59.9" | 14.1" | 151 | 14 |
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 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake Tansi’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 Lake Tansi’s center.
- Snow: Crossville Ed & Research, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crossville Mem Airport, 6 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 Lake Tansi’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Tansi?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Tansi in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Lake Tansi get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Crossville Ed & Research, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Tansi?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Crossville Mem Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Tansi?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 189 frost-free days, at Crossville Mem Airport.
What growing zone is Lake Tansi in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Tansi?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Tansi getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Tansi.
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.