PlainClimate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals Incorporated place · exact Census match 1 NOAA station · Primary-station record

Jackson, KY Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month

Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score

30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Jackson's primary NOAA station, JACKSON.

The climate verdict for Jackson

Water is the standout signal in Jackson, Kentucky: 51.9 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 57°F. Its climate comfort score of 63/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 46% of station-mapped location scores.

57°F
average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
63/100
comfort score, above 46% of station-mapped location scores
51.9"
annual precipitation · 23" snow
209 days
frost-free growing season

Jackson: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.

Normals record plate

Sheet USW00003889 · Jackson, KY 57°F mean · 51.9" precip

TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-WET · SWING-MID · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL

Nearest mean-temperature peer: Christiana, TN (+ 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 KY station list.

Climate Living Index · Jackson

Jackson: 66/100 · grade C

Jackson publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.

C
66/100Climate Living Index

PlainClimate-derived for Jackson, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 63/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.

Jackson Living Index dimension scores
DimensionStation valueScore
Normal heat + freeze calendar 69 calendar days 86/100 · A
Frost-free season 209 days/year 71/100 · B
Annual temperature balance 57.2°F · 10.3° from 67.5°F 67/100 · C
Snowfall burden 23.4 inches/year 45/100 · D
Precipitation balance 51.9 in · 16.9 from 35 in 40/100 · D

Jackson · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.

Jackson is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa

Coldest-month mean 35.8°F and warmest-month mean 75.7°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
75.7°F
Coldest month
35.8°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 · heating-led station

Where Jackson sits across the climate record

Three NOAA fields for Jackson's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.

Annual temperature
67th percentile warmth
Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
Annual precipitation
Top 15% wettest
Jackson's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
Seasonal temperature swing
35th percentile swing
Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.

How Jackson compares across U.S. station-mapped locations

Jackson's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations

PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals

63 46th percentile score exceeds 46% 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%). This entry sits in this band. 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry. 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry. 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry. This location 0 100 every station-mapped location, bucketed by value
  1. 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  2. 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
  4. 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
  5. 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
  6. 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
  7. 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
  8. 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
  9. 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
  10. 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more station-mapped locations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Jackson's measured station temperature trend

Methodology

Across 44 complete annual observations from 1976 to 2025, JACKSON warmed at a fitted rate of 0.32°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.

Jackson fitted annual mean temperature change, 1976-2025 Fitted station-temperature change from 1976 to 2025, relative to the fitted first year. The linear trend warmed at 0.32 °C per decade. -0.3°C +0.2°C +0.7°C +1.2°C +1.7°C 198020002020
  • Jackson primary station fitted change +0.32 °C/decade
Source: NOAA GHCN-M v4, quality-controlled monthly mean temperature. PlainClimate fits ordinary least squares over complete calendar years; minimum 30 years, record must reach 2015 or later.

Monthly Temperatures

Average daily high and low temperatures by month

Month Avg High Avg Low Mean
January 44°F (7°C) 27°F (-3°C) 36°F (2°C)
February 49°F (9°C) 31°F (-1°C) 40°F (4°C)
March 58°F (14°C) 38°F (3°C) 48°F (9°C)
April 69°F (21°C) 47°F (8°C) 58°F (15°C)
May 76°F (24°C) 56°F (13°C) 66°F (19°C)
June 82°F (28°C) 63°F (17°C) 73°F (23°C)
July 85°F (29°C) 67°F (19°C) 76°F (24°C)
August 84°F (29°C) 65°F (19°C) 75°F (24°C)
September 79°F (26°C) 59°F (15°C) 69°F (21°C)
October 69°F (20°C) 49°F (9°C) 59°F (15°C)
November 57°F (14°C) 39°F (4°C) 48°F (9°C)
December 48°F (9°C) 32°F (0°C) 40°F (4°C)

The year, day by day

Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 85°F around July 6, short of 90°F on every date, while 69 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 27°F near January 17.

Normal daily high and low temperature for Jackson, January through December Peaks 85°F around July 6. Bottoms 27°F around January 17. 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 freezing JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal daily high and low across the calendar year. NOAA 1991–2020 daily normals, JACKSON.

The freezing stretch

The normal low stays at or below 32°F into February 21, then returns to freezing around December 15, covering 69 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 February 21, when 48% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is September 15 at 27%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 148 wet dates a year.

The widest day

April 8 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 22°F between the normal high and the normal low.

Look up any date

Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Jackson.

Where Jackson Stands Nationally

The normal water year runs well above the national norm at roughly 52 inches.

Days and nights track unusually close together; the widest normal swing, about 22°F, is narrower than most stations record.

Jackson earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.

Monthly Precipitation

Average monthly rainfall and snowfall

January 4.0"

Snow: 7.4"

14.4 days with precipitation

February 4.1"

Snow: 6.7"

13.8 days with precipitation

March 4.7"

Snow: 4.0"

14.4 days with precipitation

April 4.5"

Snow: 0.4"

13.2 days with precipitation

May 5.2"

13.8 days with precipitation

June 5.3"

12.7 days with precipitation

July 5.1"

12.6 days with precipitation

August 4.3"

10.5 days with precipitation

September 3.4"

8.2 days with precipitation

October 3.5"

Snow: 0.1"

9.5 days with precipitation

November 3.5"

Snow: 0.7"

11.0 days with precipitation

December 4.5"

Snow: 4.1"

13.9 days with precipitation

Jackson spreads its precipitation across the year

Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 28% of the annual total and December through February 24%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Jackson has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 39.9°F seasonal spread.

The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: June averages 5.3" and September 3.4". The three wettest months together take 30% 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 Jackson, it arrives in quantity

51.9" of precipitation falls across only about 148 wet days here, averaging 0.35 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 148 a year, 41% of all days
Average depth per wet day
0.35 inches
Most wet days
January, about 14
Fewest wet days
September, about 8

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.

Winter brings real snow to Jackson

Jackson averages 23.4 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 22 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.

NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.

Frost Dates & Growing Season

First Fall Freeze

November 1

50% probability date

Last Spring Freeze

April 6

50% probability date

Growing Season

209 days

Heating & Cooling Degree Days

Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling

Heating Degree Days

4,069

Higher = more heating needed

Cooling Degree Days

1,236

Higher = more cooling needed

Warmest Month

July

Coldest Month

January

Nationwide similar cities

Other rankable U.S. places outside KY closest to Jackson 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 (57°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (51.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.

Kentucky climate overview →

Snow and freeze rhythm

When cold and snow define Jackson

heating led · wet · mid swing

Jackson's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,069 annual heating degree days against 1,236 for cooling. Its 39.9°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.

Jackson's frost-free season lasts about 209 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.

  1. 1. Jackson coldest normal

    January

    The monthly mean of 36°F (2°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.

  2. 2. Jackson typical freeze period

    January through December

    The station reports average freezing days from January through December.

  3. 3. Jackson snow peak

    January

    Jackson averages 23.4 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.

Questions about Jackson's climate

How much snow does Jackson get?
Jackson averages 23.4 inches of snow a year, most of it in January, within 51.9 inches of total precipitation. Snowfall is depth on the ground; the precipitation total counts its liquid equivalent, so the two are not additive.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Jackson?
Jackson has 4,069 heating degree days and 1,236 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. Degree-day definitions: reading weather data.

Data Sources

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Jackson's primary station: JACKSON (USW00003889). For informational purposes only.

Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 2139952). Match rule for Jackson: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate

On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Jackson 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.