Carmen reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. The wettest month is May; the driest is January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Carmen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carmen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carmen’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Carmen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Helena 1 Sse, OK, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carmen’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Helena 1 Sse, OK, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carmen
68% 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 Helena 1 Sse, OK.
Living with Carmen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 44% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carmen from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carmen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carmen yet.
Climates most like Carmen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmen, OK | 24° | 96° | 30" | 13" |
| Salina, KS | 20° | 93° | 31" | 18" |
| Childress, TX | 29° | 97° | 24" | 5.5" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Payson, AZ | 30° | 92° | 20" | 19" |
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 Carmen averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Carmen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carmen’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Carmen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carmen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Helena 1 Sse, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 24° | 0.9" | 3.1" | 4 | 4 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 27° | 1.2" | 2.4" | 5 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| March | 62° | 36° | 2.2" | 3.2" | 6 | 2 | 42° – 57° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| May | 81° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| June | 91° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| July | 96° | 70° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 90° |
| August | 94° | 68° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| October | 73° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| November | 60° | 35° | 1.5" | 0.4" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 26° | 1.3" | 3.4" | 5 | 4 | 29° – 41° |
| Year | 72° | 46° | 30.4" | 12.7" | 76 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Carmen’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 Carmen’s center.
- Snow: Helena 1 Sse, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Helena 1 Sse, OK, 11 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 Carmen’s climate
What is the weather like in Carmen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carmen in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Carmen get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Helena 1 Sse, OK, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Carmen?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 70°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (Helena 1 Sse, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Carmen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 205 frost-free days, at Helena 1 Sse, OK.
What growing zone is Carmen in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carmen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Carmen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carmen.
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.