Thomas reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Thomas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thomas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thomas’ place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Thomas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 211 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Watonga 7w Mesonet, OK, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thomas’ 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Thomas, OK, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Thomas
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 Watonga 7w Mesonet, OK.
Living with Thomas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
211 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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: April, May and October. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thomas from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (23%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thomas and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thomas yet.
Climates most like Thomas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas, OK | 26° | 95° | 30" | 7.2" |
| Hutchinson, KS | 21° | 93° | 31" | 6.9" |
| Abilene, TX | 32° | 96° | 26" | 3.7" |
| 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 Thomas averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Thomas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thomas’ place among Oklahoma’s.
Thomas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thomas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thomas, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 26° | 0.9" | 1.7" | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 29° | 1.1" | 1.2" | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 2.2" | 1.6" | 6 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 95° | 70° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 78° – 89° |
| August | 93° | 69° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 74° – 87° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 68° – 80° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 53° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.9" | 5 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 50° | 28° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 4 | 30° – 42° |
| Year | 72° | 48° | 30.1" | 7.2" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. September is the most reliable, staying within 12°.
Where Thomas’ 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 Thomas’ center.
- Snow: Thomas, OK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Watonga 7w Mesonet, OK, 14 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 Thomas’ climate
What is the weather like in Thomas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thomas in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Thomas get?
About 7.2 inches in a normal winter at Thomas, OK, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Thomas?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 70°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (Watonga 7w Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Thomas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 211 frost-free days, at Watonga 7w Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Thomas 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 Thomas?
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 Thomas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thomas.
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.