Photo: BeccaDawn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0Medford reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 24° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in January. Garden planting can start around April 10; autumn frost returns near October 28.
A year in Medford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Medford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Medford’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Medford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Medford 1sw Mesonet, OK, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Medford’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 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 Medford
69% 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 Medford 1sw Mesonet, OK.
Living with Medford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 28.
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 Medford from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Medford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Medford yet.
Climates most like Medford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OK | 24° | 95° | 33" | 9.3" |
| Burkburnett, TX | 30° | 97° | 30" | 3.1" |
| Junction City, KS | 19° | 91° | 33" | 18" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Clinton, MO | 22° | 89° | 42" | 11" |
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 Medford averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Medford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Medford’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Medford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Medford’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° – 47° |
| March | 62° | 37° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 7 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 95° | 70° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 77° – 90° |
| August | 93° | 69° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 74° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 80° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 5 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 26° | 1.4" | 2.9" | 5 | 27° – 42° |
| Year | 71° | 47° | 32.9" | 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 11°.
Where Medford’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 Medford’s center.
- Snow: Medford, OK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Medford 1sw Mesonet, OK, 0.9 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 Medford’s climate
What is the weather like in Medford?
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 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Medford in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Medford get?
About 9.3 inches in a normal winter at Medford, OK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Medford?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 70°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (Medford 1sw Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Medford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 199 frost-free days, at Medford 1sw Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Medford 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 Medford?
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 Medford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Medford.
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.