Poteau School Gymnasium-Auditorium · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Bug Tussle reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 29°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 72% of U.S. towns. The average has barely moved since 1901–2000. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bug Tussle at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bug Tussle’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bug Tussle’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Bug Tussle feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mcalester Rgnl Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bug Tussle’s 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 46 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bug Tussle
59% 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 Mcalester Rgnl Airport.
Living with Bug Tussle’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bug Tussle from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bug Tussle and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bug Tussle yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Bug Tussle averaged 0.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 22 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 Bug Tussle compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bug Tussle’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Bug Tussle weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bug Tussle’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 29° | 2.3" | 36° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 2.3" | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 3.6" | 48° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 50° | 4.8" | 55° – 68° |
| May | 80° | 59° | 6.2" | 67° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 68° | 4.7" | 74° – 84° |
| July | 94° | 71° | 3.8" | 78° – 90° |
| August | 93° | 70° | 3.2" | 75° – 89° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 4.3" | 70° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 4.4" | 57° – 70° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.5" | 45° – 58° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 3.2" | 33° – 48° |
| Year | 73° | 51° | 46.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 54°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bug Tussle’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 Bug Tussle’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mcalester Rgnl Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher; 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 Bug Tussle’s climate
What is the weather like in Bug Tussle?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 29°. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bug Tussle in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 66 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How hot does it get in Bug Tussle?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 71°. About 73 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Mcalester Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bug Tussle?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 216 frost-free days, at Mcalester Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Bug Tussle 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 Bug Tussle?
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 Bug Tussle getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 22 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bug Tussle.
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.