Summer afternoons in Spencer are warmer than in 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 28°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 66°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 73% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from March to May and October, when afternoons reach 63–79°.
A year in Spencer at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spencer’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spencer’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Spencer feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spencer 2ene Mesonet, OK, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spencer’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Arcadia 3 Wsw, OK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Spencer
63% 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 Spencer 2ene Mesonet, OK.
Living with Spencer’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spencer from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spencer and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spencer in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spencer’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer, OK | 28° | 93° | 37" | 2.5" |
| Decatur, TX | 33° | 95° | 36" | 0.8" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Andover, KS | 22° | 92° | 35" | 8.5" |
| Lancaster, SC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 2.6" |
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 Spencer averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Spencer compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spencer’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Spencer weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spencer’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Arcadia 3 Wsw, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 28° | 1.4" | 1.5" | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| February | 54° | 32° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 4 | 37° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 45° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 78° – 90° |
| August | 93° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 74° – 89° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 69° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 51° | 30° | 1.9" | 0.6" | 5 | 31° – 45° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 36.6" | 2.5" | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 61°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Spencer’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 Spencer’s center.
- Snow: Arcadia 3 Wsw, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spencer 2ene Mesonet, OK, 2.7 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 Spencer’s climate
What is the weather like in Spencer?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spencer in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 68 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Spencer get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Arcadia 3 Wsw, OK, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Spencer?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Spencer 2ene Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Spencer?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 217 frost-free days, at Spencer 2ene Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Spencer in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spencer?
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 Spencer getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spencer.
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.