Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Memphis’ winters are milder than most of the U.S., with about 3 inches of snow in Memphis International Airport
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Memphis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Memphis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Memphis’ place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Memphis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from Memphis International Airport, Memphis’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Memphis’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 Memphis International Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Memphis
55% 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 Memphis International Airport.
Living with Memphis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 174 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Memphis from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Memphis and its neighbors
Lakeland has the coldest January nights next door (31°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Memphis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.7" |
| Sylacauga, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 1.7" |
| Hot Springs Village, AR | 31° | 91° | 55" | 3.2" |
| Ayden, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 3.3" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
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 Memphis averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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. In a city of 610,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Memphis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Memphis’ place among Tennessee’s.
Memphis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Memphis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Memphis International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 32° | 4.2" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| February | 54° | 36° | 4.5" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 54° |
| March | 63° | 43° | 5.7" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 61° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 62° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 52° | 35° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 32° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 52° | 55.5" | 2.7" | 111 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Memphis’ 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 Memphis’ center.
- Snow: Memphis International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Memphis International Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Memphis’ climate
What is the weather like in Memphis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Memphis in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 44 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Memphis get?
About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Memphis International Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Memphis?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 72 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Memphis International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Memphis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 244 frost-free days, at Memphis International Airport.
What growing zone is Memphis in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Memphis?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Memphis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Memphis.
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.