Knoxville climate
Knoxville (Tennessee, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 15 °C60 °F, and about 1,308 mm52 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Knoxville climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 847 | −229 | 338 | 1064.2 | 22 |
| Feb | 1151 | 032 | 542 | 1214.8 | 17 |
| Mar | 1660 | 439 | 1050 | 1104.3 | 10 |
| Apr | 2170 | 948 | 1559 | 1184.7 | 2 |
| May | 2578 | 1458 | 2068 | 1044.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 3085 | 1966 | 2476 | 1104.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3189 | 2169 | 2679 | 1405.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 3289 | 2068 | 2678 | 943.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1661 | 2373 | 983.9 | 0 |
| Oct | 2373 | 1049 | 1661 | 833.3 | 1 |
| Nov | 1661 | 438 | 1049 | 1003.9 | 8 |
| Dec | 1151 | 033 | 542 | 1244.9 | 18 |
| Year | 3289 | −229 | 1560 | 1,30852 | 77 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 61% | 2.5 | 9:58 |
| Feb | 82% | 65% | 3.0 | 10:50 |
| Mar | 80% | 62% | 4.1 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 77% | 57% | 5.3 | 13:04 |
| May | 77% | 59% | 5.8 | 14:03 |
| Jun | 74% | 57% | 6.1 | 14:35 |
| Jul | 73% | 60% | 5.8 | 14:22 |
| Aug | 70% | 55% | 5.4 | 13:31 |
| Sep | 69% | 50% | 4.7 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 71% | 48% | 3.8 | 11:12 |
| Nov | 74% | 49% | 2.9 | 10:12 |
| Dec | 82% | 63% | 2.2 | 9:44 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Knoxville is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 8 °C47 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 22.6 °C40.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,308 mm52 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is July (140 mm5.5 in), the driest is October (83 mm3.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in September to 82% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 48%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in August to 4 km/h (2 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Knoxville
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 23 °C73 °F with 83 mm3.3 in to 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 8 °C47 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Knoxville
- Winter (December–February) — highs 847 to 11 °C51 °F, lows −229 to 0 °C33 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings, shoes with good grip, as frost is common and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1660 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 439 to 14 °C58 °F, about 111 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3085 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C69 °F, about 115 mm4.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1661 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 438 to 16 °C61 °F, about 94 mm3.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Knoxville compares
Compared with Lexington, about 231 km to the north, Knoxville is on average 2.6 °C4.7 °F warmer and receives 6% more precipitation (1,308 mm52 in vs 1,231 mm48 in). The difference is largest in February (4.1 °C7.4 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Knoxville is the 107th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 34th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Kutaisi (Georgia, Cfa), Himeji (Japan, Cfa) and Mestre (Italy, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Chattanooga 162 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,355 mm53 in
- Murfreesboro 223 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,367 mm54 in
- Athens 228 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,261 mm50 in
- Sandy Springs 230 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,292 mm51 in
- Lexington 231 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,231 mm48 in
- Lexington-Fayette 237 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,231 mm48 in
- Atlanta 250 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
- Nashville 258 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,351 mm53 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Knoxville?
July is the warmest month in Knoxville, with an average high of 31 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Knoxville?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 8 °C (47 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Knoxville?
July is the wettest month with about 140 mm (5.5 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 83 mm (3.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Knoxville?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 424 m, while Knoxville lies at about 276 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1 °C1.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.