Memphis, TN climate
Memphis has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Memphis feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Memphis 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 | 50° | 32° | 4.2" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| February | 54° | 36° | 4.5" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 54° |
| March | 63° | 43° | 5.7" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 5.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 61° | 5.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 4.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 3.4" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 52° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 62° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 52° | 35° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 32° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 52° | 55.5" | 2.7" | 111 | 2 |
“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 Memphis
Memphis gets 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year. April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first one by November 16. That leaves about 244 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 89% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Memphis
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Memphis, 55% of that work is heating and 45% is cooling.
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.
Memphis and its neighbors
Memphis borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Lakeland has the coldest January nights (31°) and West Memphis the hottest July afternoons (91°). Memphis’s January low is 32° and its July high 91°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Memphis 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 Memphis averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°). The shift is smaller than in 83% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Memphis’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 32° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Memphis’s climate
What is the coldest month in Memphis?
January, with a typical high of 50° and a low of 32°.
What is the hottest month in Memphis?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 72 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Memphis get?
About 3 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Memphis?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 16, and the last spring frost by March 16.
What is the rainiest month in Memphis?
April, with 5.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 55 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Memphis itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Memphis Intl Airport, TN (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.