Memphis climate
Memphis (Tennessee, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 1,357 mm53 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Memphis climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 948 | −130 | 439 | 1003.9 | 20 |
| Feb | 1152 | 133 | 643 | 1234.8 | 15 |
| Mar | 1762 | 542 | 1152 | 1345.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 2272 | 1151 | 1661 | 1365.4 | 0 |
| May | 2680 | 1661 | 2170 | 1385.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 2169 | 2679 | 963.8 | 0 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2373 | 2882 | 1054.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 3493 | 2272 | 2882 | 873.4 | 0 |
| Sep | 3087 | 1864 | 2476 | 813.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 2474 | 1152 | 1763 | 1134.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 1662 | 540 | 1151 | 1074.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 1151 | 133 | 642 | 1385.4 | 15 |
| Year | 3493 | −130 | 1762 | 1,35753 | 62 |
“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 | 83% | 57% | 2.4 | 10:02 |
| Feb | 83% | 62% | 3.0 | 10:52 |
| Mar | 81% | 59% | 4.1 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 78% | 54% | 5.3 | 13:02 |
| May | 78% | 55% | 5.9 | 13:00 |
| Jun | 73% | 46% | 6.7 | 14:31 |
| Jul | 69% | 47% | 6.4 | 14:18 |
| Aug | 65% | 45% | 5.9 | 13:28 |
| Sep | 65% | 40% | 4.9 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 69% | 44% | 3.8 | 11:14 |
| Nov | 75% | 49% | 2.8 | 10:16 |
| Dec | 83% | 59% | 2.1 | 9:48 |
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 Memphis is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 9 °C48 °F and lows −1 °C30 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24 °C43.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,357 mm53 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (138 mm5.4 in), the driest is September (81 mm3.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in September to 83% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 40%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in July to 11 km/h (7 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Memphis
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and September and October: average highs of 22 °C72 °F to 30 °C87 °F with 81 mm3.2 in to 136 mm5.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 9 °C48 °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 Memphis
- Winter (December–February) — highs 948 to 11 °C52 °F, lows −130 to 1 °C33 °F, about 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1762 to 26 °C80 °F, lows 542 to 16 °C61 °F, about 136 mm5.4 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 3188 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 2169 to 23 °C73 °F, about 96 mm3.8 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 1662 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 540 to 18 °C64 °F, about 100 mm4.0 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 Memphis compares
Compared with Nashville, about 316 km to the east, Memphis is on average 1.4 °C2.5 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in August (1.6 °C2.9 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Memphis is the 89th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 20th 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: Hangzhou (China, Cfa), Taozhou (China, Cfa) and Xuancheng (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Little Rock 209 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,369 mm54 in
- Clarksville 287 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,316 mm52 in
- Tuscaloosa 314 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,415 mm56 in
- Nashville 316 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,351 mm53 in
- Jackson 317 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,457 mm57 in
- Huntsville 319 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,396 mm55 in
- Murfreesboro 340 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,367 mm54 in
- Birmingham 349 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,369 mm54 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Memphis?
July is the warmest month in Memphis, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Memphis?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 9 °C (48 °F) and an average low of -1 °C (30 °F).
When does it rain the most in Memphis?
May is the wettest month with about 138 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 81 mm (3.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Memphis?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and September and 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.