Photo: Dclemens1971 · CC BY 4.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Lone Oak: 64 inches a year
January nights here settle around 28°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 7 to October 29.
A year in Lone Oak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lone Oak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lone Oak’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Lone Oak feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 203 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lone Oak’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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 64 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lone Oak
75% 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 Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN.
Living with Lone Oak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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, June, July, August, September and October. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 57% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lone Oak from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lone Oak and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lone Oak in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lone Oak’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Oak, TN | 28° | 84° | 64" | 4.3" |
| Hendersonville, NC | 29° | 84° | 63" | 6.7" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| London, KY | 25° | 86° | 53" | 5.7" |
| Big Stone Gap, VA | 26° | 84° | 52" | 9.2" |
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 Lone Oak averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
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 Lone Oak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lone Oak’s place among Tennessee’s.
Lone Oak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lone Oak’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 28° | 5.9" | 1.4" | 8 | 29° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 31° | 5.9" | 1.8" | 9 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 58° | 38° | 6.0" | 0.3" | 9 | 42° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 47° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 81° | 62° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 84° | 66° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 59° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 38° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 31° | 6.7" | 0.8" | 8 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 48° | 64.2" | 4.3" | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lone Oak’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 Lone Oak’s center.
- Snow: Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Lone Oak’s climate
What is the weather like in Lone Oak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lone Oak in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Lone Oak get?
About 4.3 inches in a normal winter at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Lone Oak?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 66°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Lone Oak?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 203 frost-free days, at Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN.
What growing zone is Lone Oak 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 Lone Oak?
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 Lone Oak 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 Lone Oak.
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.