Photo: Larry D. Moore This photo was taken with Samsung Galaxy S4 · CC BY 4.0Atoka reaches 100° on about 16 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Atoka at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Atoka’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Atoka’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Atoka feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 211 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Atoka, OK, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Atoka’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mcgee Creek Dam, OK, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Atoka
62% 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 Atoka, OK.
Living with Atoka’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
211 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Atoka from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Atoka and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Atoka yet.
Climates most like Atoka’s, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atoka, OK | 30° | 95° | 46" | 1.8" |
| Clarksville, AR | 29° | 93° | 50" | 2.5" |
| Seven Oaks, SC | 34° | 93° | 45" | 1.2" |
| Milledgeville, GA | 34° | 93° | 47" | 0.6" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
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 Atoka averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in all but 99 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 Atoka compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Atoka’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Atoka weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Atoka’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcgee Creek Dam, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 30° | 2.5" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 59° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 95° | 72° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 79° – 91° |
| August | 95° | 70° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 91° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 50° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 54° | 32° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 48° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 45.7" | 1.8" | 92 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. August swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 76° to 91°. May is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Atoka’s 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 Atoka’s center.
- Snow: Mcgee Creek Dam, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Atoka, OK, 1.0 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 Atoka’s climate
What is the weather like in Atoka?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Atoka in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 78 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Atoka get?
About 1.8 inches in a normal winter at Mcgee Creek Dam, OK, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Atoka?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 72°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 16 reach 100° (Atoka, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Atoka?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 211 frost-free days, at Atoka, OK.
What growing zone is Atoka in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Atoka?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Atoka getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 99 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Atoka.
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.