Climate of Little Rock, Arkansas facts for kids
Little Rock, the capital city of Arkansas, has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot and often muggy summers. Sometimes, there can be dry spells, especially in late summer. Little Rock is considered subtropical because nine months of the year have an average temperature above 50°F (10°C).
Summers are usually hot, and sometimes very hot. Winters are short and cool. Temperatures can change a lot in winter. This is because warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico can bring temperatures into the 70s°F (20s°C). But cold, dry air from Canada can also arrive, making temperatures drop below freezing (32°F or 0°C), sometimes even into the 20s°F (-6°C).
Little Rock gets about 50 inches (1270 mm) of rain each year. Spring, from March to May, is usually very rainy. There's also a lot of rain in November and December. August is often the driest month. The period from July to September is the driest time of year. Little Rock gets more rain and more sunny days than the average for the United States.
Thunderstorms can happen any time of year. But they are most common and powerful in spring. During spring storms, there can be very heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and even tornadoes. There's another time for severe weather in November. In winter, snow, sleet, and freezing rain can occur. This happens when cold air near the ground meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The weather information here is based on data from Clinton National Airport.
Understanding Little Rock's Climate
Little Rock is in a plant hardiness zone called 8a. This means the coldest average temperature is about 13.6°F (-10.2°C). This zone allows some plants that like warmer weather, like Crape Myrtle and certain cold-hardy palm trees, to grow here.
Temperature Changes Throughout the Year
The weather in Little Rock changes quite a bit from season to season. Summers are warm and humid, while winters are mild but can have sudden cold snaps. The spring and fall seasons offer pleasant temperatures.
| Climate data for Little Rock (Little Rock Nat'l Airport), 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1875−present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
87 (31) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
107 (42) |
112 (44) |
114 (46) |
106 (41) |
97 (36) |
86 (30) |
80 (27) |
114 (46) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.5 (10.3) |
55.1 (12.8) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.1 (22.8) |
81.1 (27.3) |
88.9 (31.6) |
92.5 (33.6) |
92.6 (33.7) |
85.6 (29.8) |
74.8 (23.8) |
63.0 (17.2) |
52.3 (11.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.8 (4.9) |
44.8 (7.1) |
53.4 (11.9) |
62.1 (16.7) |
71.1 (21.7) |
79.1 (26.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
82.5 (28.1) |
75.0 (23.9) |
63.7 (17.6) |
52.6 (11.4) |
43.0 (6.1) |
62.6 (17.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
34.5 (1.4) |
42.7 (5.9) |
51.0 (10.6) |
61.1 (16.2) |
69.4 (20.8) |
73.2 (22.9) |
72.4 (22.4) |
64.5 (18.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
42.2 (5.7) |
33.7 (0.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
−12 (−24) |
11 (−12) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
46 (8) |
54 (12) |
52 (11) |
37 (3) |
27 (−3) |
10 (−12) |
−1 (−18) |
−12 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.55 (90) |
3.66 (93) |
4.68 (119) |
5.14 (131) |
4.87 (124) |
3.65 (93) |
3.27 (83) |
2.59 (66) |
3.18 (81) |
4.91 (125) |
5.28 (134) |
4.97 (126) |
49.75 (1,264) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.6 (4.1) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
trace | 0.2 (0.51) |
3.5 (8.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 11.1 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 8.2 | 8.9 | 9.7 | 105.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 180.9 | 188.2 | 244.5 | 276.7 | 325.3 | 346.2 | 351.0 | 323.0 | 271.9 | 251.0 | 176.9 | 166.2 | 3,101.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 58 | 62 | 66 | 71 | 75 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 73 | 72 | 57 | 54 | 70 |
| Source: NOAA (sun 1961−1990 at North Little Rock Airport), The Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
Rainfall and Storms in Little Rock
Little Rock experiences different patterns of rainfall throughout the year. The city gets plenty of rain, which helps the plants and environment. However, this also means the area can experience various types of storms.
