Joplin, Missouri climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Joplin's normal year runs from 25°F January nights to 90°F July afternoons, with 45.6 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 14.5°C, January lows of −4°C, July highs of 32°C, 1,158 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationJoplin Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00013987
- Location37.15°N 94.50°W
- Elevation980 ft (299 m)
- Population53,605
On October 23, the normal high in Joplin is 68°F and the normal low 45°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 28%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Joplin.
- Jan 45° 25°
- Feb 50° 29°
- Mar 60° 37°
- Apr 69° 47°
- May 77° 56°
- Jun 86° 65°
- Jul 90° 70°
- Aug 90° 68°
- Sep 82° 59°
- Oct 71° 48°
- Nov 58° 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 Joplin each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 25°F. The most precipitation falls in May (6.56 in), the least in January (1.92 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 25°F | 34.9°F | 1.92 | 8 | <1 | 23 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 50°F | 29°F | 39.4°F | 1.98 | 7 | <1 | 18 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 60°F | 37°F | 48.6°F | 3.29 | 10 | <1 | 10 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 47°F | 57.9°F | 4.99 | 11 | <1 | 2 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 77°F | 56°F | 66.5°F | 6.56 | 13 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 86°F | 65°F | 75.6°F | 5.60 | 10 | 10 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 90°F | 70°F | 79.9°F | 3.97 | 9 | 18 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 90°F | 68°F | 79.0°F | 3.36 | 8 | 17 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 82°F | 59°F | 70.7°F | 4.18 | 8 | 6 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 71°F | 48°F | 59.3°F | 3.80 | 9 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 58°F | 37°F | 47.8°F | 3.33 | 8 | <1 | 10 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 48°F | 29°F | 38.1°F | 2.60 | 8 | <1 | 21 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 47°F | 58.1°F | 45.58 | 106 | 53 | 87 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −4°C | 1.6°C | 49 mm |
| February | 10°C | −2°C | 4.1°C | 50 mm |
| March | 15°C | 3°C | 9.2°C | 84 mm |
| April | 21°C | 8°C | 14.4°C | 127 mm |
| May | 25°C | 13°C | 19.2°C | 167 mm |
| June | 30°C | 19°C | 24.2°C | 142 mm |
| July | 32°C | 21°C | 26.6°C | 101 mm |
| August | 32°C | 20°C | 26.1°C | 85 mm |
| September | 28°C | 15°C | 21.5°C | 106 mm |
| October | 22°C | 9°C | 15.2°C | 97 mm |
| November | 15°C | 3°C | 8.8°C | 85 mm |
| December | 9°C | −2°C | 3.4°C | 66 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Columbus (19 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 USW00013987; 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 Joplin?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (8).
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 USW00013987.
When is the last frost in Joplin?
In Joplin, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 9 in half of years and after April 26 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 12 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 26; 9 in 10 after March 24
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 12; 9 in 10 before November 9
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 200 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 220 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 29 in half of springs and before November 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Joplin in zone 7a across its 2 ZIP code areas (7a in 64804, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Joplin's NOAA station is in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 1°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Missouri · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00013987; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Joplin ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Joplin's 2 ZIP code areas are all in zone 7a. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Joplin?
In a normal year in Joplin, 53 days a year reach 90°F (5 of them 100°F or more), 87 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 106 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 53a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 87a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 13high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 106a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1902) is 115°F, on July 14, 1954; the lowest is −21°F, on February 13, 1905.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1985, with 65.25 in; the snowiest season is 1969–70, with 37.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00013987; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00013987. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Joplin, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 66°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 67°F, above the 65°F at which most people call the air sticky; the driest air comes in January (26°F). March is the windiest month (11.2 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (78%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F | 65% | 48% | 9.6 mph | 59% | 32% |
| February | 30°F | 61% | 44% | 10.5 mph | 60% | 31% |
| March | 40°F | 61% | 45% | 11.2 mph | 61% | 27% |
| April | 50°F | 67% | 51% | 10.1 mph | 57% | 28% |
| May | 62°F | 73% | 56% | 8.5 mph | 65% | 18% |
| June | 67°F | 69% | 51% | 8.5 mph | 74% | 9% |
| July | 67°F | 68% | 49% | 7.3 mph | 78% | 8% |
| August | 65°F | 68% | 46% | 7.4 mph | 74% | 12% |
| September | 54°F | 68% | 47% | 7.9 mph | 77% | 13% |
| October | 42°F | 67% | 48% | 9.4 mph | 64% | 27% |
| November | 32°F | 66% | 50% | 10.0 mph | 64% | 28% |
| December | 26°F | 68% | 53% | 9.7 mph | 61% | 32% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013987. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Joplin?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Joplin, 4.4 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (84%) and February the cloudiest (69%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 243rd (with 32 others) in sunshine.
| 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 Joplin need?
A normal year in Joplin brings 4,120 heating degree days, 23% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,650 cooling degree days, 82% 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 4,594 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 933 | 0 |
| February | 719 | 1 |
| March | 517 | 9 |
| April | 249 | 36 |
| May | 79 | 126 |
| June | 4 | 322 |
| July | 0 | 462 |
| August | 1 | 433 |
| September | 36 | 207 |
| October | 226 | 49 |
| November | 523 | 5 |
| December | 833 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,120 | 1,650 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013987. 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 Joplin been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 59.3°F, 1.2°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 58.1°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.2°F | +1.1°F | 44.74 |
| 2022 | 58.9°F | +0.8°F | 43.14 |
| 2023 | 60.4°F | +2.3°F | 32.53 |
| 2024 | 61.4°F | +3.3°F | 36.68 |
| 2025 | 59.3°F | +1.2°F | 40.50 |
Over 77 complete years from 1948 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 0.5°F per century (+0.03°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00013987; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Joplin's climate compare?
Joplin is warmer than 123 of the other 133 places with their own NOAA record in Missouri, and wetter than 83. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 58.1°F is warmer than 69%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Joplin is Cfa: temperate, 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 Joplin share this climate record?
18 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.
- Webb City, MO13,391 people · 2 mi E
- Carl Junction, MO8,435 people · 3 mi NW
- Oronogo, MO3,159 people · 4 mi NE
- Galena, KS2,767 people · 9 mi SW
- Duquesne, MO2,332 people · 6 mi SE
- Duenweg, MO2,003 people · 6 mi SE
- Carterville, MO1,866 people · 3 mi E
- Airport Drive, MO813 people · 1 mi SW
- Riverton, KS683 people · 12 mi SW
- Leawood, MO634 people · 8 mi S
- Shoal Creek Drive, MO369 people · 8 mi S
- Purcell, MO318 people · 8 mi NE
- Lowell, KS304 people · 13 mi SW
- Redings Mill, MO165 people · 9 mi S
- Crestline, KS148 people · 11 mi W
- Grand Falls Plaza, MO106 people · 8 mi S
- Dennis Acres, MO56 people · 7 mi S
- Cliff Village, MO36 people · 8 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.
What do Joplin's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Joplin. This page uses Joplin Regional Airport; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin (24 mi N) USW00023908 | 20 mi N | 952 ft | 56.7°F | 23°F | 89°F | 45.8 | – | April 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Joplin's climate
What is the coldest month in Joplin?
January, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 25°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 70°F at night).
Does it snow in Joplin?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Joplin's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Columbus (19 miles away), records 7 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Joplin?
May, with 6.56 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 1.92 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Joplin in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Joplin in zone 7a across its 2 ZIP code areas (7a in 64804, the largest). By the same method at Joplin's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 1°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 7a.
How late can frost come in Joplin?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 9; in one year in ten it comes after April 26. Waiting until April 26 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Joplin in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Missouri climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Carthage, MO11 miles from this station, 58.3°F a year
- Diamond, MO14 miles from this station, 56.9°F a year
- Columbus, KS19 miles from this station, 57.2°F a year
- Pittsburg, KS20 miles from this station, 57.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made