Summer afternoons in Rocky Ford are warmer than in 80% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 27°. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 77% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 70–83°.
A year in Rocky Ford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rocky Ford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rocky Ford’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Rocky Ford 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 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kansas 2 Ne, OK, 8 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rocky Ford’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spavinaw, OK, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rocky Ford
66% 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 Kansas 2 Ne, OK.
Living with Rocky Ford’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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rocky Ford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rocky Ford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rocky Ford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rocky Ford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford, OK | 27° | 91° | 48" | 5.5" |
| Poplar Bluff, MO | 26° | 90° | 50" | 5.4" |
| Pocahontas, AR | 28° | 90° | 50" | 6.3" |
| Forest City, NC | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Colonial Heights, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rocky Ford averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in all but 140 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 Rocky Ford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rocky Ford’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Rocky Ford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rocky Ford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spavinaw, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 27° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 6 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 6 | 1 | 33° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 4.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 2.9" | 0.9" | 6 | 1 | 28° – 46° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 48.3" | 5.5" | 89 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 46°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rocky Ford’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 Rocky Ford’s center.
- Snow: Spavinaw, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kansas 2 Ne, OK, 8 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Rocky Ford’s climate
What is the weather like in Rocky Ford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rocky Ford in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Rocky Ford get?
About 5.5 inches in a normal winter at Spavinaw, OK, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rocky Ford?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Kansas 2 Ne, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Rocky Ford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 216 frost-free days, at Kansas 2 Ne, OK.
What growing zone is Rocky Ford in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rocky Ford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rocky Ford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 140 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rocky Ford.
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.