Photo: Eric Polk · CC BY-SA 4.0Barstow reaches 100° on about 50 days a year, more than all but 152 U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 31°. Seasons differ by 68°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 97% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 18; in half of years the first frost comes by November 10.
A year in Barstow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Barstow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Barstow’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Barstow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pecos 8w, TX, 15 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Barstow’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 11 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Barstow
48% 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 Pecos 8w, TX.
Living with Barstow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 and October. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Barstow from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Barstow and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Barstow yet.
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 Barstow averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Barstow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Barstow’s place among Texas’.
Barstow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Barstow’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 31° | 0.5" | 41° – 52° |
| February | 68° | 35° | 0.4" | 46° – 57° |
| March | 76° | 42° | 0.4" | 53° – 64° |
| April | 84° | 49° | 0.4" | 61° – 72° |
| May | 92° | 59° | 1.1" | 70° – 82° |
| June | 99° | 68° | 1.2" | 79° – 89° |
| July | 99° | 71° | 1.4" | 80° – 89° |
| August | 98° | 70° | 1.4" | 80° – 89° |
| September | 91° | 63° | 1.8" | 71° – 82° |
| October | 82° | 51° | 1.0" | 64° – 71° |
| November | 71° | 38° | 0.5" | 49° – 60° |
| December | 62° | 31° | 0.6" | 43° – 50° |
| Year | 82° | 51° | 10.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 64°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Barstow’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 Barstow’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pecos 8w, TX, 15 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Barstow’s climate
What is the weather like in Barstow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 31°. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 159 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Barstow in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Barstow?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 71°. About 146 days a year reach 90° and 50 reach 100° (Pecos 8w, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Barstow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 239 frost-free days, at Pecos 8w, TX.
What growing zone is Barstow 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 Barstow?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Barstow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Barstow.
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.