Manchester, Kentucky climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Manchester's normal year runs from 22°F January nights to 87°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.9°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 30°C.
- NOAA stationManchester (4 mi W)
- Station IDUSC00155111
- Location37.15°N 83.82°W
- Elevation870 ft (265 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population1,433
On October 23, the normal high in Manchester is 69°F and the normal low 38°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Manchester.
- Jan 46° 22°
- Feb 51° 25°
- Mar 60° 33°
- Apr 71° 39°
- May 78° 49°
- Jun 84° 58°
- Jul 87° 63°
- Aug 87° 61°
- Sep 82° 54°
- Oct 71° 41°
- Nov 60° 31°
- Dec 51° 25°
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 Manchester each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 87°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 22°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 22°F | 34.1°F | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 51°F | 25°F | 37.9°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 60°F | 33°F | 46.2°F | – | <1 | 16 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 71°F | 39°F | 55.1°F | – | <1 | 7 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 49°F | 63.6°F | – | 1 | 1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 84°F | 58°F | 71.1°F | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 87°F | 63°F | 75.0°F | – | 9 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 87°F | 61°F | 73.8°F | – | 8 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 82°F | 54°F | 67.9°F | – | 4 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 71°F | 41°F | 56.1°F | – | <1 | 7 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 60°F | 31°F | 45.5°F | – | <1 | 16 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 51°F | 25°F | 37.7°F | – | <1 | 23 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 42°F | 55.3°F | – | 25 | 113 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −5°C | 1.2°C |
| February | 11°C | −4°C | 3.3°C |
| March | 16°C | 0°C | 7.9°C |
| April | 22°C | 4°C | 12.8°C |
| May | 26°C | 10°C | 17.6°C |
| June | 29°C | 15°C | 21.7°C |
| July | 30°C | 17°C | 23.9°C |
| August | 30°C | 16°C | 23.2°C |
| September | 28°C | 12°C | 19.9°C |
| October | 22°C | 5°C | 13.4°C |
| November | 16°C | −1°C | 7.5°C |
| December | 10°C | −4°C | 3.2°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Oneida (12 miles away), gets 9 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00155111; 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 Manchester?
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 USC00155111.
When is the last frost in Manchester?
In Manchester, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 29 in half of years and after May 13 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 16 in half of years and before October 4 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 291 year in 10 after May 13; 9 in 10 after April 13
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 161 year in 10 before October 4; 9 in 10 before October 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 170 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 190 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 17 in half of springs and before October 24 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Manchester in zone 6b in ZIP code 40941, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Kentucky · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00155111; 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 Manchester?
In a normal year in Manchester, 25 days a year reach 90°F and 113 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 25a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 113a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 7high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1901) is 107°F, on July 24, 1901; the lowest is −22°F, on February 4, 1996.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1972, with 63.98 in; the snowiest season is 1977–78, with 37.9 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00155111; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00155111. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Manchester?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Manchester, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (78%) and February the cloudiest (60%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 61% | 2.0 |
| February | 60% | 2.6 |
| March | 65% | 3.7 |
| April | 71% | 5.0 |
| May | 72% | 5.6 |
| June | 77% | 6.2 |
| July | 76% | 5.9 |
| August | 78% | 5.5 |
| September | 77% | 4.6 |
| October | 73% | 3.4 |
| November | 71% | 2.5 |
| December | 61% | 1.8 |
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 Manchester need?
A normal year in Manchester brings 4,504 heating degree days, 16% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,012 cooling degree days, 11% 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 3,698 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 958 | 0 |
| February | 759 | 0 |
| March | 584 | 1 |
| April | 311 | 14 |
| May | 111 | 70 |
| June | 15 | 198 |
| July | 0 | 310 |
| August | 1 | 274 |
| September | 44 | 131 |
| October | 287 | 13 |
| November | 587 | 1 |
| December | 846 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,504 | 1,012 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00155111. 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.
How does Manchester's climate compare?
Manchester is warmer than 22 of the other 67 places with their own NOAA record in Kentucky. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.3°F is warmer than 61%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Manchester's climate
What is the coldest month in Manchester?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 22°F. The warmest is July (87°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Manchester?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Manchester's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Oneida (12 miles away), records 9 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Manchester in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Manchester in zone 6b in ZIP code 40941, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Manchester?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 29; in one year in ten it comes after May 13. Waiting until May 13 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kentucky climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Oneida, KY12 miles from this station, 56.1°F a year
- Booneville (12 mi SW), KY14 miles from this station, 54.9°F a year
- London, KY15 miles from this station, 56.9°F a year
- Barbourville, KY19 miles from this station, 56.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made