Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Rutledge tops that of 84% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
July afternoons average 87°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 68% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.7° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Rutledge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutledge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutledge’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Rutledge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Morristown Wfo, TN, 10 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutledge’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 Morristown Radio Wcrk, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rutledge
74% 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 Morristown Wfo, TN.
Living with Rutledge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutledge from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rutledge and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rutledge yet.
Climates most like Rutledge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutledge, TN | 27° | 87° | 50" | 8.8" |
| Mount Airy, NC | 27° | 87° | 52" | 8.2" |
| Tell City, IN | 26° | 87° | 50" | 11" |
| Bardstown, KY | 25° | 87° | 51" | 12" |
| Forest, VA | 26° | 87° | 47" | 12" |
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 Rutledge averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Rutledge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutledge’s place among Tennessee’s.
Rutledge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutledge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Morristown Radio Wcrk, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 27° | 4.3" | 2.1" | 12 | 28° – 44° |
| February | 51° | 30° | 4.6" | 2.9" | 13 | 30° – 47° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 5.0" | 2.0" | 13 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 72° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 9 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 5.1" | 1.6" | 12 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 50.1" | 8.8" | 136 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rutledge’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 Rutledge’s center.
- Snow: Morristown Radio Wcrk, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Morristown Wfo, TN, 10 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher; 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 Rutledge’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutledge?
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 Rutledge in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 64 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Rutledge get?
About 8.8 inches in a normal winter at Morristown Radio Wcrk, TN, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Rutledge?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Morristown Wfo, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Rutledge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 217 frost-free days, at Morristown Wfo, TN.
What growing zone is Rutledge in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rutledge?
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 Rutledge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutledge.
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.