Kirksville has chilly winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kirksville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kirksville’s climate
Read from where Kirksville sits among Missouri’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Kirksville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 19.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Kirksville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
179 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.
About 19" a winter over 7 days with an inch or more, most in January.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 85% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 22 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 86°.
The nicest months are April, May, June, September and October. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →19 inches of snow, 41 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Kirksville averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 70% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Kirksville compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Missouri.
Kirksville 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 | 34° | 17° | 1.4" | 6.0" | 6 | 19° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 1.8" | 4.6" | 7 | 19° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 2.6" | 2.2" | 8 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.8" | 11 | 45° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 5.6" | 0 | 12 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.3" | 0 | 11 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0 | 9 | 70° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 68° – 79° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 4.2" | 0 | 8 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 2.4" | 1.3" | 8 | 34° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 1.7" | 4.0" | 7 | 15° – 39° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 41.1" | 19.0" | 104 |
Heating and cooling a home in Kirksville
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Kirksville’s climate
What is the coldest month in Kirksville?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Kirksville?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Kirksville get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Kirksville?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Kirksville?
May, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kirksville.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Kirksville itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Kirksville, MO (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.