Photo: Dclemens1971 · CC BY 4.0Walden’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Walden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Walden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Walden’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Walden 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, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Walden’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 61 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 Walden
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 Walden’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, September and October. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Walden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Walden and its neighbors
Fairmount has the coldest January nights next door (28°, 2° colder) and Falling Water the hottest July afternoons (89°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Walden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden, TN | 30° | 86° | 61" | 4.3" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Marion, NC | 28° | 88° | 58" | 7.1" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
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 Walden averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Walden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Walden’s place among Tennessee’s.
Walden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Walden’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 | 48° | 30° | 5.6" | 1.4" | 8 | 30° – 46° |
| February | 52° | 33° | 5.7" | 1.8" | 9 | 33° – 51° |
| March | 60° | 40° | 5.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 49° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 86° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 40° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 50° | 33° | 6.1" | 0.8" | 8 | 33° – 52° |
| Year | 69° | 49° | 60.8" | 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 33° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Walden’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 Walden’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, 240 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 Walden’s climate
What is the weather like in Walden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Walden in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Walden 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 Walden?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 67°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Soddy Daisy-mowbray Mtn, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Walden?
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 Walden 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 Walden?
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 Walden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Walden.
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.