Fort Smith Rgnl, AR Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Fort Smith Rgnl's primary NOAA station, FT SMITH RGNL AP.
The climate verdict for Fort Smith Rgnl
Water is the standout signal in Fort Smith Rgnl, Arkansas: 47.3 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 62°F. It scores 93/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 93% of them.
- 62°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 93/100
- comfort score, above 93% of station-mapped location scores
- 47.3"
- annual precipitation · 3" snow
- 226 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Fort Smith Rgnl: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00013964 · Fort Smith Rgnl, AR 62°F mean · 47.3" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-MID · COMF-TOP · LOAD-MIX · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 62°F
- RANK-UPPER #5,557
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Camden
- PRCP-MID 47.3"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-TOP 93/100
- LOAD-MIX H/C balanced
- STN-1 USW00013964
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Camden, AR (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every AR station list.
- Fort Smith Rgnl (this station) 62°F
- Hot Hartsville, SC 62°F
- Near Camden, AR 62°F
- Near Clarksdale, MS 62°F
- Near Concord Wwtp, CA 62°F
Climate Living Index · Fort Smith Rgnl
Fort Smith Rgnl: 62/100 · grade C
Fort Smith Rgnl publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Fort Smith Rgnl, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 93/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 62.4°F · 5.1° from 67.5°F | 84/100 · B |
| Frost-free season | 226 days/year | 79/100 · B |
| Snowfall burden | 2.9 inches/year | 74/100 · B |
| Precipitation balance | 47.3 in · 12.3 from 35 in | 57/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 134 calendar days | 56/100 · C |
| Summer moisture balance | 68.6°F mean dew point | 20/100 · F |
Fort Smith Rgnl · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Fort Smith Rgnl is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa
Coldest-month mean 40.4°F and warmest-month mean 83.1°F place this station in temperate, no dry season, hot summer climates (Cfa). Class Cfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Cfa
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 83.1°F
- Coldest month
- 40.4°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · balanced station
Where Fort Smith Rgnl sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Fort Smith Rgnl's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Top 19% warmest
- Among 6,861 stations, Fort Smith Rgnl sits in the warmer third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Top 26% wettest
- Fort Smith Rgnl's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 47th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Fort Smith Rgnl compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Fort Smith Rgnl's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
93 Top 7% score exceeds 93% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Below this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). This entry sits in this band.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Fort Smith Rgnl's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 79 complete annual observations from 1947 to 2025, FT SMITH RGNL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.09°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Fort Smith Rgnl primary station fitted change +0.09 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F (11°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 2.9" | 1.4" | 20.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 57°F (14°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 2.7" | 0.6" | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 66°F (19°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 3.9" | 0.3" | 5.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 75°F (24°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 4.9" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| May | 81°F (27°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 5.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| June | 89°F (32°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 4.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.2 |
| July | 94°F (35°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 83°F (28°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.0 |
| August | 94°F (34°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 3.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 22.6 |
| September | 87°F (30°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 10.9 |
| October | 76°F (24°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| November | 63°F (17°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 53°F (12°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.5" | 0.6" | 16.3 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Fort Smith Rgnl works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 95°F by July 29 and hold at or above 90°F on 79 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 55 dates, bottoming at 29°F around January 12.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 18 through September 4, covering 79 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs March 29 to October 30.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into February 9, then returns to freezing around December 17, covering 55 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 9, when 35% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is July 19 at 23%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 99 wet dates a year.
The widest day
April 6 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 25°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Fort Smith Rgnl.
Where Fort Smith Rgnl Stands Nationally
Heat is a defining feature of the normals calendar — the normal daily high reaches 90°F on roughly 79 days a year, more than four out of five ranked stations record.
Fort Smith Rgnl earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 1.4"
7.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.6"
7.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
10.1 days with precipitation
9.2 days with precipitation
10.9 days with precipitation
9.0 days with precipitation
7.0 days with precipitation
7.2 days with precipitation
7.1 days with precipitation
8.1 days with precipitation
7.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.6"
7.9 days with precipitation
Fort Smith Rgnl spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 24% of the annual total and December through February 19%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Fort Smith Rgnl has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 42.7°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 5.6" and February 2.7". The three wettest months together take 32% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Fort Smith Rgnl, it arrives in quantity
47.3" of precipitation falls across only about 99 wet days here, averaging 0.48 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.
- Days with measurable precipitation
- about 99 a year, 27% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.48 inches
- Most wet days
- May, about 11
- Fewest wet days
- July, about 7
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.
Snow reaches Fort Smith Rgnl, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 2.9 inches of snow a year here, most likely in January. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 2 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 6
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 25
50% probability date
Growing Season
226 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,098
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
2,177
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65% | 7.4 | 54% | 35% |
| February | 62% | 8.3 | 55% | 32% |
| March | 62% | 8.4 | 53% | 29% |
| April | 67% | 7.4 | 51% | 26% |
| May | 72% | 6.3 | 55% | 16% |
| June | 69% | 5.7 | 61% | 8% |
| July | 66% | 5.4 | 68% | 8% |
| August | 68% | 5.5 | 68% | 10% |
| September | 68% | 5.8 | 70% | 14% |
| October | 69% | 6.6 | 55% | 30% |
| November | 68% | 7.3 | 58% | 31% |
| December | 69% | 7.3 | 55% | 35% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AR closest to Fort Smith Rgnl on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (62°F here).
- Clarksdale, MS 62°F · 0.0°F off
- Hartsville, SC 62°F · 0.0°F off
- Idabel, OK 62°F · 0.0°F off
- Myrtle Beach, SC 62°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (47.3" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Columbus, IN 47.3" · 0.0" off
- Eminence, MO 47.3" · 0.0" off
- Allentown, PA 47.4" · 0.0" off
- Crockett, TX 47.3" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Fort Smith Rgnl's climate pattern fits together
mixed demand · wet · mid swing
Water is prominent even though neither heating nor cooling wholly defines the record. Fort Smith Rgnl averages 47.3 inches of precipitation a year. Annual snowfall totals 2.9 inches. The monthly table supplies the seasonal distribution hidden by that annual total.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Fort Smith Rgnl's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 42.7°F. The annual average is 62°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Heating and cooling both register in Fort Smith Rgnl's normal, at 3,098 and 2,177 degree days respectively. Neither total exceeds the other by more than two to one, so the record is better read as a mixed-demand calendar than as heating-led or cooling-led.
A roughly 226-day frost-free season sits inside this mixed heating-and-cooling profile. Start and end dates matter because both sides of the thermostat register during a normal year.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Fort Smith Rgnl's primary station, where heating and cooling demand are close enough that neither season sets the character on its own. On a balanced station like Fort Smith Rgnl, the bands are descriptive ranges rather than an official NOAA classification or a forecast.
Questions about Fort Smith Rgnl's climate
How much rain does Fort Smith Rgnl get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Fort Smith Rgnl get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Fort Smith Rgnl? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Fort Smith Rgnl's primary station: FT SMITH RGNL AP (USW00013964). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Fort Smith Rgnl; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Fort Smith Rgnl comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.