Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Big Sandy reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 36° on average. Only 59° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 82% of U.S. towns. From March to May and October to November, highs of 67–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Big Sandy at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Sandy’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Sandy’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Big Sandy feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 229 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gilmer 4 Wnw, TX, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Sandy’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 48 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 62 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Hawkins, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Big Sandy
57% of the work is heating. 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 Gilmer 4 Wnw, TX.
Living with Big Sandy’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
229 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Sandy from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Sandy and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Sandy yet.
Climates most like Big Sandy’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 Sandy, TX | 36° | 94° | 48" | 0.5" |
| Milledgeville, GA | 34° | 93° | 47" | 0.6" |
| North Augusta, SC | 36° | 93° | 47" | 0.8" |
| Montgomery, AL | 36° | 92° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lumberton, NC | 34° | 91° | 48" | 1.2" |
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 Sandy averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Sandy compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Sandy’s place among Texas’.
Big Sandy weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Sandy’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hawkins, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 61° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 46° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| April | 76° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| May | 83° | 62° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 94° | 72° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 79° – 89° |
| August | 94° | 72° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 91° |
| September | 88° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| Year | 76° | 54° | 47.6" | 0.5" | 62 | 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 Big Sandy’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 Sandy’s center.
- Snow: Hawkins, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gilmer 4 Wnw, TX, 12 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 Sandy’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Sandy?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Sandy in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Big Sandy get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Hawkins, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Big Sandy?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 72°. About 88 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Gilmer 4 Wnw, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Big Sandy?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 229 frost-free days, at Gilmer 4 Wnw, TX.
What growing zone is Big Sandy in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Sandy?
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 Big Sandy getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Sandy.
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.