Photo: Atownbman · CC BY-SA 4.0Abilene reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 32°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.6°, most of all in March. Tender plants can go out after about March 20; in half of years the first frost comes by November 10.
A year in Abilene at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Abilene’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Abilene’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Abilene feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from Abilene Rgnl Airport, Abilene’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Abilene’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Abilene Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Abilene
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Abilene Rgnl Airport.
Living with Abilene’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
236 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 20 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 53 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Abilene from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Abilene and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Abilene yet.
Climates most like Abilene’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 32° | 96° | 26" | 3.7" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Altus, OK | 28° | 97° | 28" | 2.8" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
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 Abilene averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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. In a city of 132,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Abilene compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Abilene’s place among Texas’.
Abilene weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Abilene’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Abilene Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 36° | 1.4" | 1.0" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| March | 70° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| April | 78° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| June | 92° | 68° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| July | 96° | 72° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 90° |
| August | 95° | 71° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 90° |
| September | 88° | 63° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| December | 58° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.9" | 5 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| Year | 77° | 52° | 25.7" | 3.7" | 67 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 56°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Abilene’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 Abilene’s center.
- Snow: Abilene Rgnl Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Abilene Rgnl Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Abilene’s climate
What is the weather like in Abilene?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Abilene in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 48 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Abilene get?
About 3.7 inches in a normal winter at Abilene Rgnl Airport, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Abilene?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 72°. About 102 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (Abilene Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Abilene?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 236 frost-free days, at Abilene Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Abilene in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Abilene?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Abilene getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Abilene.
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.