Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Altus reaches 100° on about 28 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 28°. The wettest month is May; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Altus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Altus’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Altus’ place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Altus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Altus’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Headrick, OK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 28 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Altus
60% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK.
Living with Altus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Altus from natural hazards, strong wind is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Altus and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Altus yet.
Climates most like Altus’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altus, OK | 28° | 97° | 28" | 2.8" |
| Abilene, TX | 32° | 96° | 26" | 3.7" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Altus averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Altus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Altus’ place among Oklahoma’s.
Altus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Altus’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Headrick, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 28° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 31° | 1.1" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| March | 66° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| June | 93° | 68° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 88° |
| July | 97° | 72° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 92° |
| August | 96° | 71° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 92° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 30° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 4 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| Year | 75° | 50° | 27.6" | 2.8" | 62 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. August swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 77° to 92°. December is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Altus’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Altus’ center.
- Snow: Headrick, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Altus’ climate
What is the weather like in Altus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Altus in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 86 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Altus get?
About 2.8 inches in a normal winter at Headrick, OK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Altus?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 72°. About 100 days a year reach 90° and 28 reach 100° (Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Altus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 210 frost-free days, at Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK.
What growing zone is Altus in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Altus?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Altus getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Altus.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.