Climate · Shell Knob

Shell Knob, MO climate

Shell Knob has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
90°
112th hottest of 1,353 Missouri towns
January low
25°
116th mildest of 1,353 Missouri towns
Rain + melted snow
46 in
263rd wettest of 1,353 Missouri towns
Snow a winter
7 in
230th least snowy of 1,335 Missouri towns
A normal year

What a year in Shell Knob feels like

Winter

49° / 28°
Typical high / low · 2 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

69° / 45°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 16

Summer

88° / 66°
Typical high / low · 47 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

71° / 47°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 21
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Shell Knob weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January46°25°2.6" 3.6"7 31° – 46°
February51°29°2.5" 1.1"6 31° – 48°
March60°36°4.1" 1.4"9 41° – 59°
April70°45°4.7" 09 51° – 64°
May77°55°5.7" 011 62° – 73°
June85°64°4.3" 09 70° – 79°
July90°67°3.8" 08 74° – 85°
August89°66°3.2" 07 70° – 82°
September82°58°4.2" 08 66° – 77°
October71°46°3.7" 08 53° – 64°
November59°36°3.9" 07 41° – 55°
December49°28°3.0" 0.8"6 26° – 46°
Year69°46°45.6"6.9"94

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Shell Knob

Shell Knob gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.

46 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 71% of U.S. towns
7 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 76% of U.S. towns
94 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
3.6"
Frost & the growing season

About 187 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first one by October 21. That leaves about 187 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 60% of U.S. towns.

113
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2
nights below 0° in a normal year
47
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Shell Knob

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shell Knob, 77% of that work is heating and 23% is cooling.

77%heating
4,523 heating degree daysLess heating than 74% of U.S. towns
1,368 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 75% of U.S. towns

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.

Compared with other towns

How Shell Knob compares

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter than 79% of U.S. towns112th hottest of 1,353 Missouri towns
Winter cold25° January low
Milder than 73% of U.S. towns116th mildest of 1,353 Missouri towns
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 71% of U.S. towns263rd wettest of 1,353 Missouri towns
Snow7" a winter
Less snow than 76% of U.S. towns230th least snowy of 1,335 Missouri towns
Growing season187 frost-free days
Longer than 60% of U.S. towns414th shortest of 1,353 Missouri towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Shell Knob averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°). The shift is smaller than in 92% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.5° now 38°, was 37°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 57°, was 57°
☀️ Summer+0.3° now 77°, was 76°
🍂 Fall+0.1° now 59°, was 59°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shell Knob’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Shell Knob’s climate

What is the coldest month in Shell Knob?

January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 25°.

What is the hottest month in Shell Knob?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 47 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Shell Knob get?

About 7 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Shell Knob?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 16.

What is the rainiest month in Shell Knob?

May, with 5.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shell Knob itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Galena, MO (16 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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