Benham, KY climate
Benham has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade8° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 80°, and a typical Oct 1 in Benham peaks around 72°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Benham feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Benham 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 4.1" | 9.3" | 15 | 5 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 4.1" | 8.4" | 13 | 3 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 4.6" | 6.5" | 14 | 2 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 4.7" | 1.6" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 5.0" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.9" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 5.4" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.0" | 12 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 28° | 4.7" | 7.7" | 14 | 3 | 27° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 51.6" | 34.6" | 150 | 12 |
“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 Benham
Benham gets 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 150 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 12 days of the year.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 186 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Benham
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Benham, 84% of that work is heating and 16% 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 Benham 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 Benham averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°). The shift is smaller than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Benham’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 27° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Benham’s climate
What is the coldest month in Benham?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Benham?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Benham get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Benham?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 20.
What is the rainiest month in Benham?
July, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 52 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Benham itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Closplint 4 Ese, KY (7 mi, snow) and Big Stone Gap, VA (11 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.