State Highway 29 Bridge at the Colorado River · Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Buchanan Dam reaches 100° on about 27 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Buchanan Dam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Buchanan Dam’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Buchanan Dam’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Buchanan Dam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 235 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Llano, TX, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Buchanan Dam’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 30 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tow, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Buchanan Dam
42% 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 Llano, TX.
Living with Buchanan Dam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
235 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Buchanan Dam from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Buchanan Dam and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Buchanan Dam yet.
Climates most like Buchanan Dam’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Dam, TX | 36° | 96° | 30" | 0.0" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
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 Buchanan Dam averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Buchanan Dam compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Buchanan Dam’s place among Texas’.
Buchanan Dam weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Buchanan Dam’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tow, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 36° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| February | 65° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| March | 72° | 47° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| April | 80° | 54° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| May | 86° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| June | 93° | 70° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 73° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 97° | 72° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| September | 90° | 66° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| October | 81° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| November | 70° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 63° | 37° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| Year | 80° | 55° | 30.2" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Buchanan Dam’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 Buchanan Dam’s center.
- Snow: Tow, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Llano, TX, 13 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 Buchanan Dam’s climate
What is the weather like in Buchanan Dam?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Buchanan Dam in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 50 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Buchanan Dam get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tow, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Buchanan Dam?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 73°. About 120 days a year reach 90° and 27 reach 100° (Llano, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Buchanan Dam?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 235 frost-free days, at Llano, TX.
What growing zone is Buchanan Dam 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 Buchanan Dam?
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 Buchanan Dam getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Buchanan Dam.
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.