Benton, Kentucky climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Benton's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 90°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.8°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 32°C.
- NOAA stationBenton
- Station IDUSC00150611
- Location36.86°N 88.34°W
- Elevation365 ft (111 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population4,726
On October 23, the normal high in Benton is 70°F and the normal low 41°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Benton.
- Jan 46° 23°
- Feb 50° 26°
- Mar 61° 34°
- Apr 71° 44°
- May 79° 53°
- Jun 86° 62°
- Jul 90° 65°
- Aug 90° 63°
- Sep 84° 55°
- Oct 73° 43°
- Nov 60° 34°
- Dec 50° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Benton each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 23°F | 34.4°F | – | <1 | 23 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 50°F | 26°F | 37.8°F | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 61°F | 34°F | 47.3°F | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 71°F | 44°F | 57.5°F | – | <1 | 4 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 79°F | 53°F | 65.6°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 86°F | 62°F | 74.2°F | – | 10 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 90°F | 65°F | 77.1°F | – | 17 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 90°F | 63°F | 76.4°F | – | 13 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 84°F | 55°F | 69.5°F | – | 12 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 73°F | 43°F | 57.8°F | – | 1 | 4 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 60°F | 34°F | 46.8°F | – | <1 | 16 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 50°F | 26°F | 38.1°F | – | <1 | 23 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 70°F | 44°F | 56.9°F | – | 54 | 103 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −5°C | 1.3°C |
| February | 10°C | −4°C | 3.2°C |
| March | 16°C | 1°C | 8.5°C |
| April | 22°C | 7°C | 14.2°C |
| May | 26°C | 11°C | 18.7°C |
| June | 30°C | 17°C | 23.4°C |
| July | 32°C | 18°C | 25.1°C |
| August | 32°C | 17°C | 24.7°C |
| September | 29°C | 13°C | 20.8°C |
| October | 23°C | 6°C | 14.3°C |
| November | 16°C | 1°C | 8.2°C |
| December | 10°C | −3°C | 3.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Murray (17 miles away), gets 7 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00150611; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Benton?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00150611.
When is the last frost in Benton?
In Benton, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 9 in half of years and after April 28 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 19 in half of years and before October 6 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 91 year in 10 after April 28; 9 in 10 after March 27
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 191 year in 10 before October 6; 9 in 10 before October 29
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 192 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 212 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 31 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Benton in zone 7a in ZIP code 42025, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Kentucky · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00150611; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Benton?
In a normal year in Benton, 54 days a year reach 90°F and 103 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 54a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 103a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 7high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00150611.
How sunny is Benton?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Benton, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (82%) and February the cloudiest (63%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 2.3 |
| February | 63% | 2.8 |
| March | 68% | 3.9 |
| April | 74% | 5.2 |
| May | 75% | 5.8 |
| June | 81% | 6.4 |
| July | 82% | 6.2 |
| August | 82% | 5.7 |
| September | 81% | 4.8 |
| October | 76% | 3.6 |
| November | 73% | 2.6 |
| December | 65% | 2.0 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Benton need?
A normal year in Benton brings 4,262 heating degree days, 21% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,329 cooling degree days, 46% more than the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,147 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 948 | 0 |
| February | 763 | 0 |
| March | 551 | 3 |
| April | 249 | 23 |
| May | 79 | 99 |
| June | 2 | 278 |
| July | 0 | 377 |
| August | 0 | 352 |
| September | 36 | 169 |
| October | 251 | 28 |
| November | 548 | 2 |
| December | 835 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,262 | 1,329 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00150611. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Benton's climate compare?
Benton is warmer than 45 of the other 67 places with their own NOAA record in Kentucky. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 56.9°F is warmer than 66%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Benton share this climate record?
2 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Hardin, KY584 people · 7 mi S
- Dexter, KY133 people · 9 mi S
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Benton's climate
What is the coldest month in Benton?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow in Benton?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Benton's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Murray (17 miles away), records 7 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Benton in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Benton in zone 7a in ZIP code 42025, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Benton?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 9; in one year in ten it comes after April 28. Waiting until April 28 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kentucky climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Kenlake Resort, KY13 miles from this station, 59.1°F a year
- Murray, KY17 miles from this station, 58.8°F a year
- Eddyville, KY20 miles from this station, 60.9°F a year
- Smithland Lock and Dam, IL22 miles from this station, 57.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made