Ponca, AR climate
Ponca has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Ponca feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ponca weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 26° | 3.0" | 2.2" | 7 | 31° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 3.0" | 3.4" | 7 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 4.6" | 2.2" | 11 | 40° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 5.0" | 0 | 11 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.3" | 0 | 11 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0 | 8 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 70° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 4.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 29° | 3.5" | 1.5" | 9 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 48.8" | 9.5" | 106 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Ponca
Ponca gets 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first one by October 29. That leaves about 199 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 72% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Ponca
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Ponca, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Ponca compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Ponca averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.2°). The shift is smaller than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Ponca’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 26° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Ponca’s climate
What is the coldest month in Ponca?
January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 26°.
What is the hottest month in Ponca?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 16 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Ponca get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Ponca?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 29, and the last spring frost by April 13.
What is the rainiest month in Ponca?
May, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 49 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Ponca itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Harrison, AR (18 mi, snow) and Kingston 2s, AR (9 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.