Fort Smith Metro Area, AR Climate

The Fort Smith, AR Metro Area experiences a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid with temperatures often reaching the mid-90s, and winters are mild but can become cold during periods of Arctic air invasions. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with an average annual rainfall of nearly 46 inches spread evenly over the four seasons. The area also gets occasional snow each winter, with an average yearly accumulation of about 4 inches at the city center. The area enjoys many sunny days each year, so outdoor activities are easy to enjoy.

Fort Smith Metro Area, Arkansas gets 49 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Fort Smith Metro Area averages 4 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 220 sunny days per year in Fort Smith Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Fort Smith Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 88 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 92 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 27
Rain: averages 49 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 4 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the Fort Smith metro area is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Arkansas.

5.7 Summer - 6.6 Winter

May, October and September are the most pleasant months in the Fort Smith metro area, while July and August are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Fort Smith, Arkansas	United States
	49.0 in.	38.1 in.
	3.7 in.	27.8 in.
	88.3 days	106.2 days
	220 days	205 days
	92.3°	85.8°
	27.1°	21.7°
	7.2	7
	4.9	4.3
	781 ft.	2443 ft.

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.

August is the hottest month for the Fort Smith metro area with an average high temperature of 92.8°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Arkansas. In the Fort Smith metro area, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Fort Smith metro area are May, October and April.

In the Fort Smith metro area, there are 61.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Arkansas.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Fort Smith metro area with an average of 27.1°. This is colder than most places in Arkansas.

In the Fort Smith metro area, there are 76.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Arkansas.

In the Fort Smith metro area, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Arkansas.

Humidity in the Fort Smith metro area can be uncomfortable during the summer, but comfortable for most of the year. The most uncomfortably humid months are July, August and June. The humid season runs from June-September and the most comfortable months are October-May.

May is the wettest month in the Fort Smith metro area with 5.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is August with 2.9 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 30% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 49.0 inches in the Fort Smith metro area means that it is drier than most places in Arkansas.

May is the rainiest month in the Fort Smith metro area with 9.9 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 5.8 rainy days. There are 88.3 rainy days annually in the Fort Smith metro area, which is less rainy than most places in Arkansas. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 23% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 3.7 inches in the Fort Smith metro area means that it is snowier than most places in Arkansas. January is the snowiest month in the Fort Smith metro area with 1.7 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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Joshua · Gans, OK

An improving city...

Over 6 years ago

For those who haven't lived in Fort Smith in a few years, they may be surprised to see all the improved cultural amenities. The city has an amphitheater on the river More

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