Antelope Hills · Photo: The original uploader was Richmassena at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5Durham reaches 100° on about 16 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 24°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 70°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Durham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Durham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Durham’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Durham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arnett 8wsw Mesonet, OK, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Durham’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 24 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Durham
70% 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 Arnett 8wsw Mesonet, OK.
Living with Durham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Durham from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Durham and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Durham yet.
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 Durham averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Durham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Durham’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Durham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Durham’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 24° | 0.8" | 31° – 45° |
| February | 54° | 27° | 0.8" | 34° – 48° |
| March | 63° | 36° | 1.7" | 43° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 2.2" | 52° – 64° |
| May | 80° | 54° | 3.4" | 62° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 64° | 3.5" | 71° – 83° |
| July | 94° | 68° | 2.5" | 77° – 88° |
| August | 92° | 67° | 2.8" | 73° – 86° |
| September | 84° | 59° | 2.0" | 67° – 79° |
| October | 73° | 46° | 2.4" | 53° – 66° |
| November | 61° | 35° | 1.0" | 42° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 26° | 1.1" | 30° – 42° |
| Year | 72° | 46° | 24.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Durham’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 Durham’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arnett 8wsw Mesonet, OK, 16 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 Durham’s climate
What is the weather like in Durham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Durham in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How hot does it get in Durham?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 68°. About 84 days a year reach 90° and 16 reach 100° (Arnett 8wsw Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Durham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 200 frost-free days, at Arnett 8wsw Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Durham 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 Durham?
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 Durham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Durham.
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.