Potton-Hayden House · Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Big Spring reaches 100° on about 25 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Spring at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Spring’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Spring’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Big Spring 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 20 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Spring, TX, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Spring’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 Spring, TX, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 46 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Spring
50% of the work is heating. 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 Spring, TX.
Living with Big Spring’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 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Spring from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Spring and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Spring yet.
Climates most like Big Spring’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 Spring, TX | 33° | 95° | 18" | 2.0" |
| Benson, AZ | 34° | 94° | 14" | 1.2" |
| Medford, OR | 32° | 92° | 19" | 3.4" |
| Carlsbad, NM | 29° | 97° | 13" | 2.7" |
| Willows, CA | 38° | 96° | 20" | 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 Spring averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Spring compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Spring’s place among Texas’.
Big Spring weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Spring’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Spring, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| February | 63° | 36° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| March | 71° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| April | 79° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| May | 86° | 61° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| June | 93° | 68° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| July | 95° | 71° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 71° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 88° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 77° | 52° | 18.4" | 2.0" | 46 | 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°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Big Spring’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 Spring’s center.
- Snow: Big Spring, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Spring, TX, 1.9 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 Spring’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Spring?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, 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 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Spring in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 54 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 Spring get?
About 2.0 inches in a normal winter at Big Spring, TX, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Spring?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 71°. About 115 days a year reach 90° and 25 reach 100° (Big Spring, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Big Spring?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 239 frost-free days, at Big Spring, TX.
What growing zone is Big Spring in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Spring?
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 Spring getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Spring.
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.