Jefferson reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 24°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 83% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Jefferson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jefferson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jefferson’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Jefferson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jefferson 3se, OK, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jefferson’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Medford, OK, falls mostly in December. 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 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jefferson
72% 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 Jefferson 3se, OK.
Living with Jefferson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 27% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jefferson from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jefferson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jefferson yet.
Climates most like Jefferson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson, OK | 24° | 95° | 33" | 9.3" |
| Abilene, KS | 20° | 92° | 33" | 12" |
| Burkburnett, TX | 30° | 97° | 30" | 3.1" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
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 Jefferson averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Jefferson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jefferson’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Jefferson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jefferson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Medford, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 24° | 1.0" | 2.5" | 4 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.1" | 5 | 33° – 48° |
| March | 62° | 37° | 2.4" | 1.7" | 7 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 95° | 70° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 77° – 90° |
| August | 93° | 69° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 74° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 80° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 35° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 5 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 49° | 26° | 1.4" | 2.9" | 5 | 28° – 42° |
| Year | 72° | 47° | 32.7" | 9.3" | 77 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Jefferson’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 Jefferson’s center.
- Snow: Medford, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jefferson 3se, OK, 3 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 Jefferson’s climate
What is the weather like in Jefferson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jefferson in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 110 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 30°.
How much snow does Jefferson get?
About 9.3 inches in a normal winter at Medford, OK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Jefferson?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 70°. About 83 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Jefferson 3se, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Jefferson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 183 frost-free days, at Jefferson 3se, OK.
What growing zone is Jefferson in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jefferson?
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 Jefferson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jefferson.
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.