Old Reagan County Courthouse · Photo: BlueSteel75 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Big Lake reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Lake’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Big Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 238 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Lake 2, TX, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Lake’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Lake 2, TX, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; September is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 44 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Lake
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 Big Lake 2, TX.
Living with Big Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
238 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Lake from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Lake yet.
Climates most like Big Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake, TX | 33° | 94° | 19" | 2.3" |
| Medford, OR | 32° | 92° | 19" | 3.4" |
| Benson, AZ | 34° | 94° | 14" | 1.2" |
| Lovington, NM | 26° | 93° | 15" | 1.4" |
| Lemon Hill, CA | 39° | 94° | 19" | 0.0" |
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 Big Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Big Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Lake’s place among Texas’.
Big Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Lake 2, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 64° | 36° | 0.9" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| March | 72° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| April | 80° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| May | 87° | 61° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| June | 92° | 68° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| July | 94° | 70° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 69° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| September | 87° | 62° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 78° | 52° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 60° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| Year | 78° | 52° | 18.7" | 2.3" | 44 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 71°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Big Lake’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 Big Lake’s center.
- Snow: Big Lake 2, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Lake 2, TX, 0.7 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 Big Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Lake in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 56 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Big Lake get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Big Lake 2, TX, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Lake?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 70°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Big Lake 2, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Big Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 238 frost-free days, at Big Lake 2, TX.
What growing zone is Big Lake 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 Big Lake?
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 Big Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Lake.
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.