Climate · Jefferson

Jefferson, TN climate

Jefferson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
87°
109th coolest of 504 Tennessee towns
January low
28°
178th coldest of 504 Tennessee towns
Rain + melted snow
49 in
49th driest of 504 Tennessee towns
Snow a winter
10 in
14th snowiest of 503 Tennessee towns
A normal year

What a year in Jefferson feels like

Winter

50° / 30°
Typical high / low · 4 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

69° / 45°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Mar 31

Summer

86° / 65°
Typical high / low · 17 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

71° / 47°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 4
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Jefferson weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January47°28°4.3" 3.5"133 29° – 45°
February52°31°4.5" 3.3"131 31° – 49°
March60°37°4.8" 1.2"130 42° – 59°
April70°45°4.4" 0120 53° – 62°
May78°54°3.8" 0120 61° – 71°
June84°63°4.3" 0120 70° – 77°
July87°66°4.6" 0120 73° – 80°
August87°65°3.4" 0100 72° – 80°
September82°59°3.3" 080 66° – 77°
October71°47°3.0" 090 55° – 64°
November60°36°3.7" 0.3"100 42° – 53°
December50°31°4.7" 1.9"121 30° – 51°
Year69°47°49.1"10.2"1365

“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 Jefferson

Jefferson gets 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year. March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.

49 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 85% of U.S. towns
10 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 72% of U.S. towns
5 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 73% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
3.5"
Frost & the growing season

About 217 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first one by November 4. That leaves about 217 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 81% of U.S. towns.

64
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
17
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 Jefferson

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Jefferson, 74% of that work is heating and 26% is cooling.

74%heating
3,773 heating degree daysLess heating than 80% of U.S. towns
1,314 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 73% 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.

Around Jefferson

Jefferson and its neighbors

Jefferson borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. New Market has both the coldest January nights (28°) and the hottest July afternoons (88°). Jefferson’s January low is 28° and its July high 87°.

Russellville: January low 28°, July high 87°New Market: January low 28°, July high 88°Morristown: January low 28°, July high 87°Dandridge: January low 29°, July high 88°Jefferson City: January low 28°, July high 87° Jefferson CityNew MarketMorristownDandridge
ColderMilder28° to 29°
New Market28.1° −0.1°
Jefferson City28.2°
Morristown28.2° same
Dandridge28.6° +0.4°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Jefferson compares

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter than 66% of U.S. towns109th coolest of 504 Tennessee towns
Winter cold28° January low
Milder than 79% of U.S. towns178th coldest of 504 Tennessee towns
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 85% of U.S. towns49th driest of 504 Tennessee towns
Snow10" a winter
Less snow than 72% of U.S. towns14th snowiest of 503 Tennessee towns
Growing season217 frost-free days
Longer than 81% of U.S. towns72nd longest 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

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Jefferson averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 76% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.4° now 40°, was 39°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 58°, was 57°
☀️ Summer+0.5° now 75°, was 75°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 59°, was 58°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Jefferson’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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Jefferson’s climate

What is the coldest month in Jefferson?

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

What is the hottest month in Jefferson?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Jefferson get?

About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Jefferson?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 4, and the last spring frost by March 31.

What is the rainiest month in Jefferson?

March, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 49 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Jefferson itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Morristown Wfo, TN (5 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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