Memphis, TN Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Memphis's primary NOAA station, MEMPHIS INTL AP - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Memphis
Water is the standout signal in Memphis, Tennessee: 54.9 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 63°F. It scores 87/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 87% of them.
- 63°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 87/100
- comfort score, above 87% of station-mapped location scores
- 54.9"
- annual precipitation · 3" snow
- 245 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Memphis: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00013893 · Memphis, TN 63°F mean · 54.9" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-WET · SWING-MID · COMF-TOP · LOAD-MIX · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 63°F
- RANK-UPPER #5,763
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Allendale
- PRCP-WET 54.9"
- SWING-MID 41°F
- COMF-TOP 87/100
- LOAD-MIX H/C balanced
- STN-MULTI USW00013893
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Allendale, SC (+ 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 TN station list.
- Memphis (this station) 63°F
- Hot Carlsbad Cavern…, NM 63°F
- Near Allendale, SC 63°F
- Near Bankhead L&d, AL 63°F
- Near Canton, MS 63°F
Climate Living Index · Memphis
Memphis: 66/100 · grade C
Memphis publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Memphis, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 87/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 63.4°F · 4.1° from 67.5°F | 88/100 · A |
| Frost-free season | 245 days/year | 87/100 · A |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 75 calendar days | 84/100 · B |
| Snowfall burden | 2.7 inches/year | 74/100 · B |
| Precipitation balance | 54.9 in · 19.9 from 35 in | 29/100 · F |
| Summer moisture balance | 68.6°F mean dew point | 19/100 · F |
Memphis · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Memphis is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa
Coldest-month mean 42.1°F and warmest-month mean 82.8°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
- 82.8°F
- Coldest month
- 42.1°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 · balanced station
Where Memphis sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Memphis's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Top 16% warmest
- Among 6,861 stations, Memphis sits in the warmer third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Top 11% wettest
- Memphis's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 39th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Memphis compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Memphis's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
87 Top 13% score exceeds 87% 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%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). This entry sits in this band.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Memphis's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 146 complete annual observations from 1872 to 2025, MEMPHIS INTL AP changed little at a fitted rate of 0.00°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Memphis primary station fitted change +0.00 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F (11°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 4.1" | 0.9" | 14.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 56°F (13°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 4.5" | 1.0" | 10.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 64°F (18°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 5.7" | 0.5" | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 73°F (23°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 5.9" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| May | 82°F (28°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 5.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| June | 89°F (32°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.5 |
| July | 92°F (33°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 83°F (28°C) | 4.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 22.1 |
| August | 92°F (33°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 20.2 |
| September | 86°F (30°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 10.2 |
| October | 75°F (24°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| November | 63°F (17°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 4.7" | 0.1" | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 53°F (12°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 5.5" | 0.2" | 11.5 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
The year in Memphis runs from a mild 33°F around January 13 to 92°F at the peak near July 30, and the normal low never reaches freezing on any date in the record.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 17 through August 30, covering 75 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 3 to October 28.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
No freezing date
Not one calendar date in the 1991–2020 record carries a normal low at or below 32°F. The coldest normal low of the year is 33°F around January 13.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is March 8, when 36% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is September 29 at 23%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 112 wet dates a year.
The widest day
October 17 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 21°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Memphis.
Where Memphis Stands Nationally
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 21°F.
Heat is a defining feature of the normals calendar — the normal daily high reaches 90°F on roughly 75 days a year, more than four out of five ranked stations record.
Memphis 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
Snow: 0.9"
10.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.0"
9.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.5"
11.5 days with precipitation
9.6 days with precipitation
10.6 days with precipitation
8.9 days with precipitation
9.5 days with precipitation
7.6 days with precipitation
7.1 days with precipitation
7.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
9.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
10.2 days with precipitation
Memphis spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 22% of the annual total and December through February 26%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Memphis has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 40.7°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: April averages 5.9" and September 3.0". The three wettest months together take 31% 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 Memphis, it arrives in quantity
54.9" of precipitation falls across only about 111 wet days here, averaging 0.49 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 111 a year, 31% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.49 inches
- Most wet days
- March, about 12
- Fewest wet days
- September, about 7
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.
Snow reaches Memphis, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 2.7 inches of snow a year here, most likely in February. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 3 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 16
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 16
50% probability date
Growing Season
245 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,875
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
2,314
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63% | 8.8 | 24% | 40% |
| February | 61% | 9.5 | 23% | 41% |
| March | 60% | 9.5 | 21% | 35% |
| April | 64% | 8.9 | 21% | 32% |
| May | 68% | 7.6 | 14% | 27% |
| June | 67% | 7.1 | 17% | 16% |
| July | 67% | 6.5 | 20% | 17% |
| August | 66% | 6.9 | 28% | 15% |
| September | 62% | 7.2 | 38% | 17% |
| October | 66% | 7.4 | 31% | 30% |
| November | 66% | 8.3 | 26% | 37% |
| December | 69% | 8.7 | 22% | 43% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside TN closest to Memphis 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 (63°F here).
- Allendale, SC 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Canton, MS 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Emory, TX 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Jal, NM 63°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (54.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Nashville, AR 55.0" · 0.0" off
- Greensboro, AL 54.9" · 0.0" off
- Perry, FL 55.0" · 0.1" off
- Glasgow, KY 54.9" · 0.1" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Memphis's climate pattern fits together
mixed demand · wet · mid swing
Water is prominent even though neither heating nor cooling wholly defines the record. Memphis averages 54.9 inches of precipitation a year. Annual snowfall totals 2.7 inches. The monthly table supplies the seasonal distribution hidden by that annual total.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Memphis's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 40.7°F. The annual average is 63°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Heating and cooling both register in Memphis's normal, at 2,875 and 2,314 degree days respectively. Neither total exceeds the other by more than two to one, so the record is better read as a mixed-demand calendar than as heating-led or cooling-led.
The frost-free window extends for about 245 days. That is a long calendar measure, but it is not a forecast and does not combine heat, rainfall, soil, or local elevation into a planting recommendation.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Memphis's primary station, where heating and cooling demand are close enough that neither season sets the character on its own. On a balanced station like Memphis, the bands are descriptive ranges rather than an official NOAA classification or a forecast.
Questions about Memphis's climate
How much rain does Memphis get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Memphis get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Memphis? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Memphis's primary station: MEMPHIS INTL AP (USW00013893). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Memphis area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. 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 4748000). Match rule for Memphis: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Memphis 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.