Quicksand, Kentucky climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Quicksand's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 49.0 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.5°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 29°C, 1,243 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationQuicksand
- Station IDUSC00156624
- Location37.53°N 83.35°W
- Elevation745 ft (227 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Quicksand is 66°F and the normal low 39°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Quicksand.
- Jan 44° 23°
- Feb 48° 26°
- Mar 57° 31°
- Apr 68° 40°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 85° 64°
- Aug 84° 63°
- Sep 79° 56°
- Oct 69° 42°
- Nov 58° 32°
- Dec 48° 27°
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 Quicksand each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F. The most precipitation falls in July (5.13 in), the least in November (3.13 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44°F | 23°F | 33.3°F | 3.86 | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 48°F | 26°F | 36.6°F | 3.60 | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 57°F | 31°F | 43.9°F | 4.12 | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 40°F | 53.8°F | 4.50 | – | <1 | 8 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 63.0°F | 4.71 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 82°F | 60°F | 70.8°F | 4.99 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 85°F | 64°F | 74.4°F | 5.13 | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 84°F | 63°F | 73.3°F | 4.01 | – | 1 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 79°F | 56°F | 67.4°F | 3.41 | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 42°F | 55.2°F | 3.30 | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 58°F | 32°F | 44.8°F | 3.13 | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 48°F | 27°F | 37.3°F | 4.19 | – | <1 | 20 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 66°F | 43°F | 54.5°F | 48.95 | – | 7 | 114 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −5°C | 0.7°C | 98 mm |
| February | 9°C | −4°C | 2.6°C | 91 mm |
| March | 14°C | 0°C | 6.6°C | 105 mm |
| April | 20°C | 4°C | 12.1°C | 114 mm |
| May | 24°C | 11°C | 17.2°C | 120 mm |
| June | 28°C | 15°C | 21.6°C | 127 mm |
| July | 29°C | 18°C | 23.6°C | 130 mm |
| August | 29°C | 17°C | 22.9°C | 102 mm |
| September | 26°C | 13°C | 19.7°C | 87 mm |
| October | 20°C | 5°C | 12.9°C | 84 mm |
| November | 14°C | 0°C | 7.1°C | 80 mm |
| December | 9°C | −3°C | 2.9°C | 106 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Jackson (4 miles away), gets 23 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00156624; 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 Quicksand?
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 USC00156624.
When is the last frost at Quicksand?
In Quicksand, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 19 in half of years and after May 5 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 24 in half of years and before October 11 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 191 year in 10 after May 5; 9 in 10 after April 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 241 year in 10 before October 11; 9 in 10 before November 5
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 187 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 209 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 5 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Quicksand in zone 7a in ZIP code 41339, 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 USC00156624; 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 Quicksand?
In a normal year in Quicksand, 7 days a year reach 90°F and 114 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 7a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 114a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 13high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00156624.
How sunny is it at Quicksand?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Quicksand, 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Quicksand record?
A normal year at Quicksand brings 4,752 heating degree days, 12% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 944 cooling degree days, 4% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,539 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 984 | 0 |
| February | 795 | 0 |
| March | 653 | 1 |
| April | 343 | 7 |
| May | 127 | 65 |
| June | 10 | 183 |
| July | 1 | 291 |
| August | 2 | 257 |
| September | 56 | 126 |
| October | 317 | 14 |
| November | 607 | 1 |
| December | 859 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,752 | 944 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00156624. 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 Quicksand been warmer than normal?
2021 averaged 55.0°F, 0.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 54.5°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.0°F | +0.5°F | – |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00156624. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Quicksand's climate compare?
Quicksand is warmer than 9 of the 68 places with their own NOAA record in Kentucky, and wetter than 19. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.5°F is warmer than 59%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Quicksand 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 Quicksand's climate
What is the coldest month at Quicksand?
January, with a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow at Quicksand?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Jackson (4 miles away), records 23 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Quicksand?
July, with 5.13 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is November with 3.13 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Quicksand in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Quicksand in zone 7a in ZIP code 41339, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Quicksand?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 19; in one year in ten it comes after May 5. Waiting until May 5 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kentucky climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Jackson, KY4 miles from this station, 57.2°F a year
- Buckhorn, KY15 miles from this station, 56.0°F a year
- Salyersville, KY21 miles from this station, 54.7°F a year
- Beattyville, KY21 miles from this station, 55.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made