Alma reaches 100° on about 17 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Alma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alma’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Alma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 256 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bardwell Dam, TX, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alma’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 41 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 84 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Bardwell Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Alma
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Bardwell Dam, TX.
Living with Alma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
256 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 8 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alma and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Alma in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Alma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma, TX | 37° | 95° | 41" | 0.3" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Vidalia, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
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 Alma averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Alma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alma’s place among Texas’.
Alma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alma’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bardwell Dam, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 37° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| August | 96° | 74° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 92° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 67° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 41.0" | 0.3" | 84 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Alma’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 Alma’s center.
- Snow: Bardwell Dam, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bardwell Dam, TX, 6 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 Alma’s climate
What is the weather like in Alma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alma in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 39 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Alma get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Bardwell Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Alma?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 17 reach 100° (Bardwell Dam, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Alma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 8 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 256 frost-free days, at Bardwell Dam, TX.
What growing zone is Alma in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alma?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alma.
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.