McDaniels, Kentucky climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
McDaniels's normal year runs from 24°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 52.8 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.0°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 29°C, 1,341 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMcDaniels
- Station IDUSC00155280
- Location37.65°N 86.43°W
- Elevation425 ft (130 m)
On October 23, the normal high in McDaniels is 65°F and the normal low 43°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for McDaniels.
- Jan 42° 24°
- Feb 46° 26°
- Mar 56° 35°
- Apr 68° 44°
- May 74° 55°
- Jun 81° 63°
- Jul 84° 67°
- Aug 85° 65°
- Sep 79° 58°
- Oct 67° 46°
- Nov 56° 35°
- Dec 45° 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 at McDaniels each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 24°F. The most precipitation falls in May (5.88 in), the least in August (3.36 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 24°F | 33.0°F | 3.73 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 46°F | 26°F | 36.0°F | 4.03 | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 56°F | 35°F | 45.5°F | 4.75 | – | <1 | 12 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 44°F | 56.4°F | 5.14 | – | <1 | 3 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 74°F | 55°F | 64.6°F | 5.88 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 81°F | 63°F | 72.1°F | 4.97 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 84°F | 67°F | 75.7°F | 4.56 | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 85°F | 65°F | 74.8°F | 3.36 | – | 2 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 79°F | 58°F | 68.1°F | 3.68 | – | 2 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 46°F | 56.6°F | 3.95 | – | <1 | 2 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 56°F | 35°F | 45.3°F | 3.91 | – | <1 | 13 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 45°F | 29°F | 36.9°F | 4.82 | – | <1 | 21 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 65°F | 46°F | 55.4°F | 52.78 | – | 9 | 94 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −5°C | 0.6°C | 95 mm |
| February | 8°C | −3°C | 2.2°C | 102 mm |
| March | 13°C | 2°C | 7.5°C | 121 mm |
| April | 20°C | 7°C | 13.6°C | 131 mm |
| May | 24°C | 13°C | 18.1°C | 149 mm |
| June | 27°C | 17°C | 22.3°C | 126 mm |
| July | 29°C | 19°C | 24.3°C | 116 mm |
| August | 29°C | 18°C | 23.8°C | 85 mm |
| September | 26°C | 14°C | 20.1°C | 93 mm |
| October | 20°C | 8°C | 13.7°C | 100 mm |
| November | 13°C | 1°C | 7.4°C | 99 mm |
| December | 7°C | −2°C | 2.7°C | 122 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Rough River Lake (5 miles away), gets 4 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00155280; 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.
Which months are mildest at McDaniels?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, July, August, 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 USC00155280.
When is the last frost at McDaniels?
In McDaniels, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 11 in half of years and after April 28 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 26 in half of years and before October 13 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 111 year in 10 after April 28; 9 in 10 after March 31
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 261 year in 10 before October 13; 9 in 10 before November 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 196 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 217 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 31 in half of springs and before November 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts McDaniels in zone 6b in ZIP code 40178, 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 USC00155280; 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 at McDaniels?
In a normal year in McDaniels, 9 days a year reach 90°F and 94 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 9a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 94a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 18high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00155280.
How sunny is it at McDaniels?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at McDaniels, 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (81%) and December the cloudiest (62%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 63% | 2.0 |
| February | 62% | 2.7 |
| March | 66% | 3.8 |
| April | 73% | 5.1 |
| May | 74% | 5.7 |
| June | 81% | 6.4 |
| July | 81% | 6.1 |
| August | 81% | 5.6 |
| September | 79% | 4.7 |
| October | 75% | 3.5 |
| November | 72% | 2.5 |
| December | 62% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does McDaniels record?
A normal year at McDaniels brings 4,600 heating degree days, 14% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,140 cooling degree days, 26% 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 3,856 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 992 | 0 |
| February | 811 | 0 |
| March | 606 | 3 |
| April | 284 | 24 |
| May | 102 | 91 |
| June | 8 | 221 |
| July | 1 | 332 |
| August | 2 | 305 |
| September | 49 | 140 |
| October | 283 | 22 |
| November | 593 | 1 |
| December | 871 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,600 | 1,140 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00155280. 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.
Have recent years at McDaniels been warmer than normal?
2025 averaged 56.1°F, 0.7°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 55.4°F. 4 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.9°F | +0.5°F | 51.08 |
| 2023 | 57.1°F | +1.8°F | 51.13 |
| 2024 | 57.8°F | +2.4°F | 60.35 |
| 2025 | 56.1°F | +0.7°F | 63.89 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00155280. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does McDaniels's climate compare?
McDaniels is warmer than 26 of the 68 places with their own NOAA record in Kentucky, and wetter than 47. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.4°F is warmer than 62%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, McDaniels 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.
Questions about McDaniels's climate
What is the coldest month at McDaniels?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 24°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 67°F at night).
Does it snow at McDaniels?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Rough River Lake (5 miles away), records 4 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at McDaniels?
May, with 5.88 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is August with 3.36 in.
What plant hardiness zone is McDaniels in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts McDaniels in zone 6b in ZIP code 40178, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at McDaniels?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 11; in one year in ten it comes after April 28. Waiting until April 28 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kentucky climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Rough River Lake, KY4 miles from this station, 56.7°F a year
- Leitchfield, KY12 miles from this station, 53.8°F a year
- Corners, KY15 miles from this station, 54.4°F a year
- Cannelton, IN23 miles from this station, 57.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made