Elgin reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 29° on average. The wettest month is May; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 82% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from March to May and October brings highs of 65–81°.
A year in Elgin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elgin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elgin’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Elgin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 213 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Apache 4ene Mesonet, OK, 9 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elgin’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wichita Mtn Wr, OK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elgin
64% 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 Apache 4ene Mesonet, OK.
Living with Elgin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
213 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 and October. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elgin from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elgin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elgin yet.
Climates most like Elgin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin, OK | 29° | 95° | 33" | 1.8" |
| Stephenville, TX | 34° | 95° | 34" | 0.7" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Arkansas City, KS | 23° | 93° | 37" | 6.2" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
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 Elgin averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Elgin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elgin’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Elgin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elgin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wichita Mtn Wr, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 29° | 1.3" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 32° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| May | 81° | 59° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| July | 95° | 72° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 92° |
| August | 95° | 71° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 91° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 52° | 31° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| Year | 74° | 50° | 33.0" | 1.8" | 61 | 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 10°.
Where Elgin’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 Elgin’s center.
- Snow: Wichita Mtn Wr, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Apache 4ene Mesonet, OK, 9 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 Elgin’s climate
What is the weather like in Elgin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elgin in winter?
January nights average 29°. 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 Elgin get?
About 1.8 inches in a normal winter at Wichita Mtn Wr, OK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elgin?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 72°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Apache 4ene Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Elgin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 213 frost-free days, at Apache 4ene Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Elgin 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 Elgin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elgin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elgin.
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.