Carthage, Missouri climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Carthage's normal year runs from 24°F January nights to 91°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 14.6°C, January lows of −4°C, July highs of 33°C.
- NOAA stationCarthage
- Station IDUSC00231356
- Location37.18°N 94.30°W
- Elevation978 ft (298 m)
- Population15,703
On October 9, the normal high in Carthage is 75°F and the normal low 49°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Carthage.
- Jan 45° 24°
- Feb 50° 28°
- Mar 59° 36°
- Apr 70° 47°
- May 78° 57°
- Jun 86° 65°
- Jul 91° 70°
- Aug 91° 68°
- Sep 83° 59°
- Oct 72° 47°
- Nov 59° 37°
- Dec 48° 29°
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 Carthage each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 91°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 24°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 24°F | 34.4°F | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 50°F | 28°F | 39.2°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 59°F | 36°F | 47.7°F | – | <1 | 12 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 70°F | 47°F | 58.2°F | – | <1 | 2 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 57°F | 67.1°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 86°F | 65°F | 75.6°F | – | 6 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 91°F | 70°F | 80.4°F | – | 18 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 91°F | 68°F | 79.2°F | – | 19 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 83°F | 59°F | 70.7°F | – | 6 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 72°F | 47°F | 59.7°F | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 59°F | 37°F | 48.3°F | – | <1 | 11 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 48°F | 29°F | 38.5°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 47°F | 58.3°F | – | 51 | 93 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −4°C | 1.3°C |
| February | 10°C | −2°C | 4.0°C |
| March | 15°C | 2°C | 8.7°C |
| April | 21°C | 8°C | 14.6°C |
| May | 25°C | 14°C | 19.5°C |
| June | 30°C | 19°C | 24.2°C |
| July | 33°C | 21°C | 26.9°C |
| August | 33°C | 20°C | 26.2°C |
| September | 28°C | 15°C | 21.5°C |
| October | 22°C | 8°C | 15.4°C |
| November | 15°C | 3°C | 9.1°C |
| December | 9°C | −2°C | 3.6°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Neosho (22 miles away), gets 8 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00231356; 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 Carthage?
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 USC00231356.
When is the last frost in Carthage?
In Carthage, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 4 in half of years and after April 20 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 13 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 41 year in 10 after April 20; 9 in 10 after March 20
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 13; 9 in 10 before November 12
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 204 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 223 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 27 in half of springs and before November 5 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Carthage in zone 7a in ZIP code 64836, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Missouri · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00231356; 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 Carthage?
In a normal year in Carthage, 51 days a year reach 90°F (6 of them 100°F or more) and 93 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 51a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 93a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 12high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1940) is 115°F, on July 14, 1954; the lowest is −18°F, on March 7, 1943.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2008, with 58.17 in; the snowiest season is 1969–70, with 35.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00231356; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00231356. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Carthage?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Carthage, 4.4 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (84%) and February the cloudiest (69%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 2.4 |
| February | 69% | 3.0 |
| March | 69% | 4.0 |
| April | 72% | 5.1 |
| May | 73% | 5.7 |
| June | 82% | 6.7 |
| July | 84% | 6.5 |
| August | 82% | 5.8 |
| September | 82% | 4.9 |
| October | 77% | 3.6 |
| November | 74% | 2.6 |
| December | 71% | 2.1 |
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 Carthage need?
A normal year in Carthage brings 4,118 heating degree days, 23% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,693 cooling degree days, 87% 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 4,641 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 948 | 0 |
| February | 723 | 1 |
| March | 544 | 8 |
| April | 247 | 43 |
| May | 72 | 137 |
| June | 6 | 324 |
| July | 0 | 476 |
| August | 1 | 442 |
| September | 33 | 206 |
| October | 215 | 50 |
| November | 505 | 5 |
| December | 822 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,118 | 1,693 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00231356. 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 Carthage's climate compare?
Carthage is warmer than 125 of the other 133 places with their own NOAA record in Missouri. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 58.3°F is warmer than 70%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Carthage share this climate record?
8 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.
- Sarcoxie, MO1,420 people · 12 mi SE
- Jasper, MO878 people · 11 mi N
- Alba, MO571 people · 7 mi NW
- Carytown, MO290 people · 6 mi N
- Fidelity, MO231 people · 7 mi S
- Avilla, MO100 people · 10 mi E
- Brooklyn Heights, MO99 people · 4 mi W
- Reeds, MO96 people · 9 mi SE
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 Carthage's climate
What is the coldest month in Carthage?
January, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 24°F. The warmest is July (91°F by day, 70°F at night).
Does it snow in Carthage?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Carthage's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Neosho (22 miles away), records 8 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Carthage in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Carthage in zone 7a in ZIP code 64836, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Carthage?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 4; in one year in ten it comes after April 20. Waiting until April 20 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Missouri climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Joplin, MO11 miles from this station, 58.1°F a year
- Diamond, MO14 miles from this station, 56.9°F a year
- Neosho, MO22 miles from this station, 58.6°F a year
- Lockwood, MO24 miles from this station, 56.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made