Photo: Jeremy Wagg · Public domainMcAlester reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 29°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. The average has barely moved since 1901–2000. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in McAlester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McAlester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McAlester’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in McAlester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mcalester Rgnl Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McAlester’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 46 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in McAlester
59% 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 Mcalester Rgnl Airport.
Living with McAlester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McAlester from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McAlester and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McAlester yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in McAlester averaged 0.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.0°).
A smaller shift than in all but 10 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 McAlester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McAlester’s place among Oklahoma’s.
McAlester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McAlester’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 29° | 2.4" | 35° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 2.4" | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 3.6" | 48° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 49° | 4.9" | 55° – 68° |
| May | 80° | 59° | 6.0" | 67° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 74° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 3.9" | 78° – 90° |
| August | 93° | 70° | 3.2" | 75° – 88° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 4.3" | 70° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 4.4" | 57° – 70° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.4" | 44° – 58° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 3.2" | 33° – 48° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 46.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 54°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where McAlester’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 McAlester’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mcalester Rgnl Airport, 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 McAlester’s climate
What is the weather like in McAlester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 29°. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McAlester in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 66 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How hot does it get in McAlester?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 73 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Mcalester Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in McAlester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 216 frost-free days, at Mcalester Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is McAlester 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 McAlester?
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 McAlester getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 10 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McAlester.
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.