Harlan, KY Climate

Harlan, KY has a humid continental climate which is characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters. The average temperature in July is around 78°F (26°C) and the average January temperature is around 32°F (0°C). The area receives an average of 40 inches (101 cm) of precipitation per year, concentrated mainly in the months of April through October. During the winter months, snowfall may occur on occasion. The town also experiences severe weather events such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and extreme temperatures throughout the year.

Harlan, Kentucky gets 50 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Harlan averages 11 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 178 sunny days per year in Harlan. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Harlan gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 128 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 85 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23
Rain: averages 50 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 11 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Harlan is 7.4 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Kentucky.

8.8 Summer - 5.7 Winter

September, June and August are the most pleasant months in Harlan, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Harlan, Kentucky	United States
	Unlock	38.1 in.
	10.5 in.	Unlock
	Unlock	106.2 days
	178 days	Unlock
	85.2°	85.8°
	Unlock	21.7°
	7.4	Unlock
	Unlock	4.3
	1191 ft.	Unlock

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Harlan with an average high temperature of 85.2°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Kentucky. In Harlan, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Harlan are September, May and June.

In Harlan, there are 13.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in Kentucky.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Harlan with an average of 23.0°. This is colder than most places in Kentucky.

In Harlan, there are 114.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Kentucky.

In Harlan, there are 1.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Kentucky.

The humidity is usually comfortable in Harlan but some summer days can be muggy. July is the most humid month, though it is still relatively mild compared to many other places. The most humid months are July, August and June.

May is the wettest month in Harlan with 5.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is October with 3.0 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 28% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Winter, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 50.2 inches in Harlan means that it is wetter than most places in Kentucky.

December is the rainiest month in Harlan with 12.0 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.8 rainy days. There are 127.6 rainy days annually in Harlan, which is rainier than most places in Kentucky. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 20% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 10.5 inches in Harlan means that it is snowier than most places in Kentucky. January is the snowiest month in Harlan with 3.7 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.