Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Fort Leonard Wood's normal year runs from 22°F January nights to 88°F July afternoons, with 46.8 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.9°C, January lows of −6°C, July highs of 31°C, 1,189 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationFort Leonard Wood
- Station IDUSC00232981
- Location37.75°N 92.11°W
- Elevation1,123 ft (342 m)
- Population (census place)15,317
On October 23, the normal high in Fort Leonard Wood is 66°F and the normal low 42°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Fort Leonard Wood.
- Jan 42° 22°
- Feb 47° 26°
- Mar 57° 33°
- Apr 68° 43°
- May 75° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 88° 66°
- Aug 87° 64°
- Sep 80° 56°
- Oct 69° 45°
- Nov 56° 34°
- Dec 46° 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 Fort Leonard Wood each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 88°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 22°F. The most precipitation falls in May (5.14 in), the least in February (2.49 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 22°F | 31.8°F | 2.79 | – | <1 | 27 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 47°F | 26°F | 36.4°F | 2.49 | – | <1 | 23 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 57°F | 33°F | 44.9°F | 4.24 | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 43°F | 55.4°F | 4.88 | – | <1 | 5 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 64.3°F | 5.14 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 83°F | 62°F | 72.7°F | 4.59 | – | 6 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 88°F | 66°F | 77.1°F | 4.15 | – | 14 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 87°F | 64°F | 75.6°F | 4.17 | – | 10 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 80°F | 56°F | 68.2°F | 3.85 | – | 4 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 45°F | 56.9°F | 3.41 | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 56°F | 34°F | 45.0°F | 3.90 | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 26°F | 35.7°F | 3.20 | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 67°F | 44°F | 55.3°F | 46.81 | – | 35 | 111 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −6°C | −0.1°C | 71 mm |
| February | 8°C | −4°C | 2.4°C | 63 mm |
| March | 14°C | 1°C | 7.2°C | 108 mm |
| April | 20°C | 6°C | 13.0°C | 124 mm |
| May | 24°C | 12°C | 17.9°C | 131 mm |
| June | 29°C | 17°C | 22.6°C | 117 mm |
| July | 31°C | 19°C | 25.1°C | 105 mm |
| August | 31°C | 18°C | 24.2°C | 106 mm |
| September | 27°C | 13°C | 20.1°C | 98 mm |
| October | 21°C | 7°C | 13.8°C | 87 mm |
| November | 13°C | 1°C | 7.2°C | 99 mm |
| December | 8°C | −4°C | 2.1°C | 81 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Waynesville (8 miles away), gets 10 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00232981; 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 Fort Leonard Wood?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, 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 USC00232981.
When is the last frost in Fort Leonard Wood?
In Fort Leonard Wood, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 14 in half of years and after April 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 24 in half of years and before October 11 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 141 year in 10 after April 30; 9 in 10 after March 29
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 241 year in 10 before October 11; 9 in 10 before November 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 193 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 215 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 2 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fort Leonard Wood in zone 6b in ZIP code 65473.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Missouri · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00232981; 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 Fort Leonard Wood?
In a normal year in Fort Leonard Wood, 35 days a year reach 90°F (3 of them 100°F or more) and 111 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 35a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 3a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 111a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 19high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00232981.
How sunny is Fort Leonard Wood?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Fort Leonard Wood, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (82%) and February the cloudiest (67%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 70% | 2.3 |
| February | 67% | 3.0 |
| March | 69% | 4.0 |
| April | 72% | 5.1 |
| May | 74% | 5.8 |
| June | 82% | 6.6 |
| July | 82% | 6.4 |
| August | 80% | 5.7 |
| September | 81% | 4.9 |
| October | 76% | 3.6 |
| November | 73% | 2.6 |
| December | 68% | 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 Fort Leonard Wood need?
A normal year in Fort Leonard Wood brings 4,728 heating degree days, 12% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,241 cooling degree days, 37% more than the median (908). Six months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,947 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,030 | 0 |
| February | 801 | 0 |
| March | 625 | 4 |
| April | 307 | 19 |
| May | 111 | 90 |
| June | 7 | 239 |
| July | 1 | 375 |
| August | 2 | 331 |
| September | 52 | 148 |
| October | 284 | 33 |
| November | 601 | 2 |
| December | 908 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,728 | 1,241 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00232981. 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.
Has Fort Leonard Wood been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 56.7°F, 1.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 55.3°F. 2 of the 2 complete years since 2024 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 57.8°F | +2.5°F | 53.76 |
| 2025 | 56.7°F | +1.4°F | 44.00 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00232981. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Fort Leonard Wood's climate compare?
Fort Leonard Wood is warmer than 67 of the other 133 places with their own NOAA record in Missouri, and wetter than 97. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.3°F is warmer than 61%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Fort Leonard Wood is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Fort Leonard Wood share this climate record?
Plato has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its 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.
- Plato, MO89 people · 18 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 Fort Leonard Wood's climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Leonard Wood?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 22°F. The warmest is July (88°F by day, 66°F at night).
Does it snow in Fort Leonard Wood?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Fort Leonard Wood's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Waynesville (8 miles away), records 10 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Leonard Wood?
May, with 5.14 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.49 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Fort Leonard Wood in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Fort Leonard Wood in zone 6b in ZIP code 65473.
How late can frost come in Fort Leonard Wood?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 14; in one year in ten it comes after April 30. Waiting until April 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Missouri climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Waynesville, MO8 miles from this station, 56.5°F a year
- Licking, MO18 miles from this station, 55.3°F a year
- Rolla, MO23 miles from this station, 56.3°F a year
- Iberia, MO27 miles from this station, 55.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made