Kingsport, Tennessee climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Kingsport's normal year runs from 27°F January nights to 87°F July afternoons, with 45.0 inches of precipitation and 5 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 14.2°C, January lows of −3°C, July highs of 31°C, 1,144 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationKingsport
- Station IDUSC00404858
- Location36.52°N 82.53°W
- Elevation1,284 ft (391 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population57,109
On October 23, the normal high in Kingsport is 68°F and the normal low 43°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 Kingsport.
- Jan 46° 27°
- Feb 51° 30°
- Mar 60° 36°
- Apr 71° 45°
- May 78° 54°
- Jun 84° 62°
- Jul 87° 66°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 81° 58°
- Oct 71° 46°
- Nov 59° 36°
- Dec 50° 30°
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 Kingsport each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 87°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 27°F. The most precipitation falls in July (5.05 in), the least in October (2.43 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. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 27°F | 36.9°F | 3.88 | 1.7 | 12 | <1 | 21 | 10 h |
| February | 51°F | 30°F | 40.3°F | 4.05 | 1.6 | 12 | <1 | 17 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 60°F | 36°F | 48.1°F | 4.14 | 0.7 | 13 | <1 | 11 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 71°F | 45°F | 57.6°F | 4.05 | 0.0 | 12 | <1 | 2 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 54°F | 66.0°F | 3.76 | 0.0 | 12 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 84°F | 62°F | 73.2°F | 3.71 | 0.0 | 12 | 6 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 87°F | 66°F | 76.5°F | 5.05 | 0.0 | 13 | 11 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 86°F | 65°F | 75.5°F | 3.81 | 0.0 | 10 | 8 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 81°F | 58°F | 69.8°F | 2.98 | 0.0 | 9 | 4 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 71°F | 46°F | 58.4°F | 2.43 | 0.0 | 8 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 59°F | 36°F | 47.3°F | 3.17 | 0.1 | 10 | <1 | 12 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 50°F | 30°F | 39.9°F | 4.00 | 1.0 | 12 | <1 | 19 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 46°F | 57.5°F | 45.03 | 5.1 | 133 | 28 | 83 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −3°C | 2.7°C | 99 mm | 4 cm |
| February | 11°C | −1°C | 4.6°C | 103 mm | 4 cm |
| March | 16°C | 2°C | 8.9°C | 105 mm | 2 cm |
| April | 21°C | 7°C | 14.2°C | 103 mm | 0 cm |
| May | 26°C | 12°C | 18.9°C | 96 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 29°C | 17°C | 22.9°C | 94 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 31°C | 19°C | 24.7°C | 128 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 30°C | 18°C | 24.2°C | 97 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 27°C | 15°C | 21.0°C | 76 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 22°C | 8°C | 14.7°C | 62 mm | 0 cm |
| November | 15°C | 2°C | 8.5°C | 81 mm | 0 cm |
| December | 10°C | −1°C | 4.4°C | 102 mm | 3 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00404858; 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 Kingsport?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, September and October. Of those, October 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 USC00404858.
When is the last frost in Kingsport?
In Kingsport, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 9 in half of years and after April 25 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 29 in half of years and before October 15 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 25; 9 in 10 after March 25
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 291 year in 10 before October 15; 9 in 10 before November 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 203 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 224 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 28 in half of springs and before November 6 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Kingsport in zone 7b across its 4 ZIP code areas (7b in 37660, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Kingsport's NOAA station is in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 6°F (23 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Tennessee · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00404858; 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 Kingsport ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Kingsport's 4 ZIP code areas are all in zone 7b. 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 Kingsport?
In a normal year in Kingsport, 28 days a year reach 90°F, 83 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 133 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 28a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 83a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 6high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 133a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 2a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1916) is 104°F, on June 30, 1936; the lowest is −18°F, on January 21, 1985.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1927, with 60.07 in; the snowiest season is 1959–60, with 44.9 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00404858; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00404858. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Kingsport?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Kingsport, 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (78%) and February the cloudiest (62%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 352nd (with 32 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 65% | 2.2 |
| February | 62% | 2.8 |
| March | 68% | 4.0 |
| April | 73% | 5.2 |
| May | 73% | 5.8 |
| June | 76% | 6.2 |
| July | 75% | 5.9 |
| August | 78% | 5.5 |
| September | 77% | 4.7 |
| October | 75% | 3.6 |
| November | 74% | 2.7 |
| December | 65% | 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 Kingsport need?
A normal year in Kingsport brings 3,976 heating degree days, 26% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,257 cooling degree days, 38% 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 4,152 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 873 | 0 |
| February | 693 | 0 |
| March | 524 | 2 |
| April | 242 | 20 |
| May | 74 | 105 |
| June | 6 | 253 |
| July | 0 | 357 |
| August | 0 | 324 |
| September | 27 | 169 |
| October | 228 | 25 |
| November | 531 | 1 |
| December | 778 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 3,976 | 1,257 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00404858. 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 Kingsport been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 58.0°F, 0.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 57.5°F. 4 of the 4 complete years since 2022 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 57.6°F | +0.1°F | 40.85 | 0.7 |
| 2023 | 57.7°F | +0.2°F | 43.78 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 59.2°F | +1.7°F | 42.00 | 3.7 |
| 2025 | 58.0°F | +0.5°F | 43.50 | 4.0 |
Over 70 complete years from 1946 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.7°F per century (+0.15°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00404858; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Kingsport's climate compare?
Kingsport is warmer than 35 of the other 115 places with their own NOAA record in Tennessee, and wetter than 1. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 57.5°F is warmer than 68%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Kingsport 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 Kingsport share this climate record?
12 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.
- Bloomingdale, TN8,840 people · 4 mi N
- Church Hill, TN7,310 people · 10 mi W
- Mount Carmel, TN5,549 people · 8 mi W
- Colonial Heights, TN2,783 people · 3 mi SE
- Gate City, VA2,019 people · 9 mi N
- Sullivan Gardens, TN1,334 people · 4 mi SW
- Weber City, VA1,236 people · 7 mi N
- Fall Branch, TN1,077 people · 9 mi SW
- Orebank, TN777 people · 4 mi NE
- Hiltons, VA403 people · 10 mi N
- Nickelsville, VA376 people · 17 mi N
- Clinchport, VA62 people · 16 mi NW
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 Kingsport's climate
What is the coldest month in Kingsport?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 27°F. The warmest is July (87°F by day, 66°F at night).
Does it snow in Kingsport?
Yes: 5 inches in a normal year, falling on 3 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (1.7 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Kingsport?
July, with 5.05 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is October with 2.43 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Kingsport in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Kingsport in zone 7b across its 4 ZIP code areas (7b in 37660, the largest). By the same method at Kingsport's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 6°F (23 years, 1991-2020): zone 7b.
How late can frost come in Kingsport?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 9; in one year in ten it comes after April 25. Waiting until April 25 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kingsport in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Tennessee climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Bristol, TN7 miles from this station, 56.6°F a year
- Elizabethton, TN19 miles from this station, 55.9°F a year
- Rogersville, TN26 miles from this station, 56.3°F a year
- Erwin, TN27 miles from this station, 55.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made