Photo: w:en:Bencochran · CC BY-SA 2.5Cushing reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 27°. In January, nights here are milder than in 67% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.5° above 1901–2000. The heating season runs November to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cushing at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cushing’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cushing’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Cushing feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cushing, OK, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cushing’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cushing, OK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cushing
65% 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 Cushing, OK.
Living with Cushing’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 31% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cushing from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cushing and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cushing yet.
Climates most like Cushing’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cushing, OK | 27° | 93° | 38" | 4.1" |
| Gainesville, TX | 32° | 95° | 39" | 2.6" |
| Lancaster, SC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 2.6" |
| Monroe, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 2.1" |
| Hutchinson, KS | 21° | 93° | 31" | 6.9" |
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 Cushing averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Cushing compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cushing’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Cushing weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cushing’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cushing, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 27° | 1.5" | 1.7" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 48° |
| February | 54° | 31° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 50° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 90° |
| August | 92° | 69° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 88° |
| September | 85° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| December | 51° | 29° | 1.9" | 1.2" | 4 | 0 | 29° – 45° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 38.4" | 4.1" | 64 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 45°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Cushing’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 Cushing’s center.
- Snow: Cushing, OK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cushing, OK, 0.8 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 Cushing’s climate
What is the weather like in Cushing?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cushing in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 76 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Cushing get?
About 4.1 inches in a normal winter at Cushing, OK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cushing?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Cushing, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Cushing?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 217 frost-free days, at Cushing, OK.
What growing zone is Cushing in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cushing?
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 Cushing getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cushing.
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.