Richmond, Kentucky climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Richmond's normal year runs from 25°F January nights to 87°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.2°C, January lows of −4°C, July highs of 31°C.
- NOAA stationEastern Kentucky University
- Station IDUSC00152409
- Location37.75°N 84.33°W
- Elevation1,000 ft (305 m)
- Population39,581
On October 14, the normal high in Richmond is 70°F and the normal low 45°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Richmond.
- Jan 42° 25°
- Feb 48° 27°
- Mar 57° 34°
- Apr 68° 43°
- May 76° 54°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 87° 66°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 80° 57°
- Oct 69° 44°
- Nov 56° 36°
- Dec 46° 28°
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 Richmond each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 87°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 25°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 25°F | 33.6°F | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 48°F | 27°F | 37.3°F | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 57°F | 34°F | 45.2°F | – | <1 | 16 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 43°F | 55.3°F | – | <1 | 5 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 65.0°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 83°F | 62°F | 72.4°F | – | 4 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 87°F | 66°F | 76.6°F | – | 11 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 86°F | 65°F | 75.2°F | – | 8 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 80°F | 57°F | 68.5°F | – | 3 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 44°F | 56.6°F | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 56°F | 36°F | 45.8°F | – | <1 | 13 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 28°F | 37.4°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 66°F | 45°F | 55.7°F | – | 26 | 102 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −4°C | 0.9°C |
| February | 9°C | −3°C | 2.9°C |
| March | 14°C | 1°C | 7.3°C |
| April | 20°C | 6°C | 12.9°C |
| May | 24°C | 12°C | 18.3°C |
| June | 29°C | 16°C | 22.4°C |
| July | 31°C | 19°C | 24.8°C |
| August | 30°C | 18°C | 24.0°C |
| September | 27°C | 14°C | 20.3°C |
| October | 20°C | 7°C | 13.7°C |
| November | 13°C | 2°C | 7.7°C |
| December | 8°C | −2°C | 3.0°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Crab Orchard (19 miles away), gets 7 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00152409; 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 Richmond?
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 USC00152409.
When is the last frost in Richmond?
In Richmond, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 15 in half of years and after April 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 22 in half of years and before October 10 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 151 year in 10 after April 30; 9 in 10 after March 31
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 221 year in 10 before October 10; 9 in 10 before November 4
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 190 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 211 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 3 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Richmond in zone 7a in ZIP code 40475, 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 USC00152409; 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 Richmond?
In a normal year in Richmond, 26 days a year reach 90°F and 102 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 26a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 102a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 16high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00152409.
How sunny is Richmond?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Richmond, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (80%) and February the cloudiest (61%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 62% | 2.0 |
| February | 61% | 2.7 |
| March | 66% | 3.8 |
| April | 72% | 5.1 |
| May | 73% | 5.7 |
| June | 79% | 6.3 |
| July | 78% | 6.0 |
| August | 80% | 5.6 |
| September | 78% | 4.6 |
| October | 74% | 3.5 |
| November | 72% | 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 Richmond need?
A normal year in Richmond brings 4,548 heating degree days, 15% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,206 cooling degree days, 33% 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 3,935 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 975 | 0 |
| February | 776 | 0 |
| March | 616 | 2 |
| April | 313 | 22 |
| May | 95 | 95 |
| June | 12 | 235 |
| July | 0 | 361 |
| August | 1 | 319 |
| September | 44 | 151 |
| October | 281 | 19 |
| November | 579 | 1 |
| December | 856 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,548 | 1,206 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00152409. 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 Richmond's climate compare?
Richmond is warmer than 31 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 55.7°F is warmer than 63%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Richmond's climate
What is the coldest month in Richmond?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 25°F. The warmest is July (87°F by day, 66°F at night).
Does it snow in Richmond?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Richmond's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Crab Orchard (19 miles away), records 7 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Richmond in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Richmond in zone 7a in ZIP code 40475, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Richmond?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 15; in one year in ten it comes after April 30. Waiting until April 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kentucky climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Berea, KY12 miles from this station, 58.3°F a year
- Cressy, KY17 miles from this station, 54.7°F a year
- Crab Orchard, KY19 miles from this station, 56.8°F a year
- Dix Dam, KY21 miles from this station, 57.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made