Climate · Big Sandy

Big Sandy, TN climate

Big Sandy has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
187th hottest of 504 Tennessee towns
January low
28°
178th coldest of 504 Tennessee towns
Rain + melted snow
52 in
79th driest of 504 Tennessee towns
Snow a winter
4 in
177th snowiest of 503 Tennessee towns
A normal year

What a year in Big Sandy feels like

Winter

50° / 30°
Typical high / low · 1 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

71° / 47°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 8

Summer

88° / 67°
Typical high / low · 52 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

72° / 48°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 29
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Big Sandy weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January47°28°4.0" 1.8"11 30° – 45°
February52°32°4.5" 1.0"11 31° – 50°
March62°38°5.1" 0.4"12 43° – 61°
April72°46°5.0" 0.3"12 53° – 64°
May79°57°5.3" 011 63° – 74°
June86°65°4.4" 09 71° – 80°
July89°69°4.3" 09 74° – 82°
August89°67°3.4" 09 72° – 85°
September83°59°3.5" 07 67° – 77°
October72°47°3.5" 09 56° – 65°
November60°37°4.3" 010 42° – 54°
December51°31°4.8" 0.6"12 30° – 51°
Year70°48°52.0"4.1"121

“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 Big Sandy

Big Sandy gets 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.

52 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 91% of U.S. towns
4 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns
121 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.3"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
1.8"
Frost & the growing season

About 202 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first one by October 29. That leaves about 202 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 73% of U.S. towns.

80
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
52
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 Big Sandy

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Big Sandy, 69% of that work is heating and 31% is cooling.

69%heating
3,658 heating degree daysLess heating than 81% of U.S. towns
1,618 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 82% 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 Big Sandy compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 76% of U.S. towns187th hottest of 504 Tennessee towns
Winter cold28° January low
Milder than 79% of U.S. towns178th coldest of 504 Tennessee towns
Precipitation52" a year
Wetter than 91% of U.S. towns79th driest of 504 Tennessee towns
Snow4" a winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns177th snowiest of 503 Tennessee towns
Growing season202 frost-free days
Longer than 73% of U.S. towns164th shortest of 504 Tennessee 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 Big Sandy averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.2° now 40°, was 39°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 59°, was 58°
☀️ Summer+0.3° now 77°, was 77°
🍂 Fall+0.4° now 60°, was 59°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Big Sandy’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 30° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Big Sandy’s climate

What is the coldest month in Big Sandy?

January, with a typical high of 47° and a low of 28°.

What is the hottest month in Big Sandy?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 52 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Big Sandy get?

About 4 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Big Sandy?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 29, and the last spring frost by April 8.

What is the rainiest month in Big Sandy?

May, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 52 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Big Sandy itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Big Sandy, TN (1 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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