Best Time to Drive: Vicksburg, MS to Clinton, MS

The best overall window to drive from Vicksburg, MS to Clinton, MS is January. June is especially comfortable, and 9 AM to 12 PM is usually the easiest departure window. The main things to watch are heavy rain and ponding.

Best overall window

January

This is the clearest single-month sweet spot on the calendar.

Easiest departure pattern

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Most challenging stretch

January to April

January is one of the harder months for this route because the weather friction stacks up faster.

Why This Route Scores Differently

This is a same-day corridor, so departure timing matters almost as much as the month you choose.

The current best window is January, when the drive is more likely to feel steady end to end.

This score uses multiple NOAA sample points along the route instead of a single state-wide climate average.

Month-by-Month Driving Conditions

Jan

Difficult 16°F

Feb

Challenging 17°F

Mar

Challenging 20°F

Apr

Challenging 22°F

May

Fair 25°F

Jun

Fair 27°F

Jul

Fair 28°F

Aug

Good 28°F

Sep

Fair 26°F

Oct

Fair 22°F

Nov

Challenging 19°F

Dec

Difficult 17°F

Best Good/Fair Challenging

Average Conditions by Month

January

Avg high / low 19 / 13°F

Moisture 5.5 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

February

Avg high / low 21 / 14°F

Moisture 5.1 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

March

Avg high / low 23 / 16°F

Moisture 5.1 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

April

Avg high / low 26 / 18°F

Moisture 5.8 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

May

Avg high / low 28 / 21°F

Moisture 4.6 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

June

Avg high / low 30 / 24°F

Moisture 4.3 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

July

Avg high / low 31 / 24°F

Moisture 4.9 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

August

Avg high / low 31 / 24°F

Moisture 3.9 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

September

Avg high / low 29 / 23°F

Moisture 3.5 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

October

Avg high / low 26 / 19°F

Moisture 4.1 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

November

Avg high / low 22 / 15°F

Moisture 4.4 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

December

Avg high / low 20 / 13°F

Moisture 5.2 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

Seasonal Hazards on This Route

Heavy rain and ponding

Jan - Dec

Short intense downpours can make a same-day drive feel longer than the raw route time suggests.

Tropical weather window

Jun - Nov

Track tropical systems and leftover Gulf moisture closely, especially if your travel day is not flexible.

Best Departure Time by Season

Spring

7 AM to 10 AM

A morning departure gives you more room to adjust if rain slows the drive down.

Summer

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Fall

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Winter

7 AM to 10 AM

A morning departure gives you more room to adjust if rain slows the drive down.

How This Score Was Built

Source

Route-sampled NOAA climate normals

High confidence. Built from 3 NOAA-backed route checkpoints rather than a single statewide estimate.

Origin zone

Southeast

Destination zone

Southeast

Route sample points

Late route

Late route checkpoint

MS VICKSBURG 2.2 NE (2.2 mi away)

Late route

Late route checkpoint

MS VICKSBURG 6.9 NE (8.9 mi away)

Destination

Clinton, MS

MS JACKSON HAWKINS FLD (5.9 mi away)

Ready to plan? See the full trip plan from Vicksburg, MS to Clinton, MS with stops, fuel costs, and directions.

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